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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cue · bass · wave · sharp · perch · face · file · nail

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. file — a line of people
  6. sharp — clever
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. file — a document
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bass — low music
  13. face — to confront
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cue — a hint
  18. file — a tool
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. face — part of the head
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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