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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: bat · band · cue · spring · staff · firm · wave · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. firm — a company
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. spring — of water
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. hand — in cards
  9. spring — the season
  10. staff — employees
  11. hand — help
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. cue — a hint
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. staff — a stick
  20. firm — steady
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bat — the animal
  23. firm — decided
  24. staff — employees

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