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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. march — music
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. march — the month
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cue — a signal
  24. deal — to handle

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