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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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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 · rush · safe · wave · nail · hand · band · pitch

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitch — completely
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. band — a music group
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. band — a ring
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. hand — help
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. hand — in cards

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