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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: lash · cue · roll · wave · cell · can · stand · land

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. land — to come down
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. land — ground
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. can — a tin
  11. cue — a signal
  12. roll — a list
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. can — a tin
  19. land — a country
  20. cell — a phone
  21. roll — a cake
  22. stand — to bear
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. cue — a hint

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