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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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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: cue · lean · wind · wake · tear · game · chip · racket

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. chip — to eat
  3. lean — to bend
  4. game — a match
  5. wind — moving air
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cue — a hint
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lean — thin
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. game — wild animals
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cue — a signal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. racket — for tennis

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