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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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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 · hand · can · fine · mouse · ball · staff · row

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. can — to be able to
  4. row — a line
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fine — high quality
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. hand — in cards
  11. staff — employees
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fine — all right
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. can — a tin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. row — to paddle
  21. hand — help
  22. can — a tin
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wave — with your hand

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