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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: kick · cue · cabinet · rush · cold · craft · band · wave

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. band — a music group
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cold — not warm
  20. craft — boats
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. band — a ring
  24. kick — in football

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