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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 116 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 · swing · season · safe · cue · stick · bear · chair

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bear — the animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. season — in sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. swing — to play on
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cue — a hint
  19. chair — a leader
  20. season — of the year
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. swing — music

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