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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. tube — a container
  3. cue — a signal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. band — a ring
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mate — a friend
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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