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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wave · fine · cue · key · trunk · net · hide · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. net — for catching
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cue — a signal
  11. net — after costs
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. key — in music
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fine — all right
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cue — a hint
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. net — in sport
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. trunk — of a tree

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