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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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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: stick · wind · object · mate · cue · band · fine · kid

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. cue — a signal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. fine — all right
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. object — an aim
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. band — a ring
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mate — to breed
  13. band — a music group
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mate — a partner
  18. object — to protest
  19. cue — a hint
  20. kid — child
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fine — high quality
  24. kid — to tease

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