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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: tear · last · cue · chair · rash · wake · board · fine

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rash — a series
  10. last — finally
  11. tear — to rip
  12. board — a committee
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. last — to go on
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fine — all right
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wake — a trail
  23. board — to get on
  24. last — final

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