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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bound — certain
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cue — a signal
  6. file — a document
  7. can — a tin
  8. file — a tool
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. can — a tin
  11. bound — tied together
  12. tube — a container
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. face — to confront
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. face — to point toward
  24. can — to be able 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