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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. object — an aim
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. last — to go on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wound — an injury
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. object — a thing
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. object — to protest
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cue — a hint

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