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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cue — a signal
  6. craft — a skill
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rest — a break
  15. degree — from a university
  16. wake — a trail
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. tube — the underground
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. degree — temperature
  22. cue — for pool
  23. degree — an amount
  24. tube — a container

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