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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cue — a signal
  5. tube — a container
  6. net — for catching
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. tear — to rip
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. date — the fruit
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cue — for pool
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cabinet — ministers

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