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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 124 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cap — of ice
  3. suit — in cards
  4. current — electric
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. suit — to fit
  9. drill — a practice
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cue — a hint
  12. drill — the tool
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cue — for pool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. current — happening now
  18. cold — an illness
  19. current — of water
  20. cap — a lid
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cap — a hat
  23. drill — army training
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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