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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 120 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: sharp · hand · wave · cue · hide · firm · bank · fork

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. firm — a company
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. hand — in cards
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cue — for pool
  15. firm — steady
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bank — for money
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. firm — decided

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