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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · wound · cue · rock · race · row · firm · dip

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cue — a signal
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cue — for pool
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. row — a line
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. firm — decided
  12. rock — a stone
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. firm — steady
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rock — music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wound — an injury
  23. race — the arms race
  24. wave — a sudden rise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com