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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · hide · nail · cue · file · wave · stand · rush

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cue — a hint
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. date — on the calendar

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