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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. hand — help
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cue — a signal
  12. tube — a container
  13. race — humankind
  14. cue — for pool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bore — to tire
  20. chair — a leader
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cue — a hint

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