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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. track — a path
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fall — to drop
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cue — a hint
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fall — the season
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. track — a song
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mark — a grade
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. track — to keep track

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