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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. degree — an amount
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cue — a hint
  6. lean — thin
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. shower — rain
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. shower — to wash
  17. degree — from a university
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cue — for pool
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. tube — a container
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mark — to pay attention

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