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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. tube — a container
  3. cue — a hint
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. last — to go on
  6. tube — the underground
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rest — a break
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. snap — to click
  13. drill — army training
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rest — what's left
  16. last — finally
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rest — what's left
  19. sharp — clever
  20. last — final
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mark — a trace

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