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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 120 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. season — of the year
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. spring — the season
  11. fall — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tube — the underground
  16. season — in sport
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bound — obliged
  19. cue — a hint
  20. tube — a container
  21. chair — a leader
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bound — certain
  24. fall — to drop

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