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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. can — a tin
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cap — a hat
  6. shower — rain
  7. file — a document
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cue — a signal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. can — to be able to
  16. tube — a container
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. file — a tool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cap — a lid
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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