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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. saw — the tool
  6. last — finally
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wake — a trail
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. tube — a container
  16. last — to go on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. last — final
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cue — for pool

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