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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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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: pound · wave · bear · cue · nail · stand · bowl · staff

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. staff — employees
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stand — to bear
  15. staff — employees
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cue — a hint
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. nail — for a hammer

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