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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mate — a partner
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rock — music
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stick — to attach or keep 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