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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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Word bank
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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: race · wave · game · prune · nail · bass · cue · rest

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cue — a hint
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cue — a signal
  12. race — humankind
  13. game — a match
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. race — a contest
  17. rest — what's left
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rest — a break
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. prune — to trim
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rest — what's left

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