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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stand — to bear
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. tube — a container
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. content — happy
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cue — a signal
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stand — for spectators
  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