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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. foot — a measure
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cue — a hint
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tube — a container
  7. cue — for pool
  8. file — a document
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. degree — from a university
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. file — a tool
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cue — a signal
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. degree — an amount
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. tube — the underground
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wave — with your hand

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