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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tube — a container
  3. degree — temperature
  4. can — a tin
  5. row — a line
  6. cue — for pool
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. degree — an amount
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cue — a signal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rest — what's left
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rest — a break
  17. cue — a hint
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rest — what's left
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. row — to paddle
  23. saw — the tool
  24. can — a tin

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