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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 120 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: present · ball · rush · hand · cue · net · mug · wake

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. cue — a signal
  3. present — a gift
  4. net — in sport
  5. mug — a cup
  6. net — after costs
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cue — a hint
  10. present — there
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. net — for catching
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. hand — help
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. present — the time now
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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