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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. track — a song
  6. cue — a hint
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. club — for golf
  9. tube — a container
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tube — the underground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. band — a music group
  14. tear — to rip
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cue — for pool
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. track — to keep track
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cue — a signal

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