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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. root — of a word
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cue — a signal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. root — of a plant
  11. tube — the underground
  12. root — the cause
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tube — a container

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