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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. file — a tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cue — a signal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. row — a line
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. tube — a container
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. row — to paddle
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. tube — the underground
  18. file — a document
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mate — a partner
  24. tube — in a tire

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