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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. stem — to come from
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. firm — decided
  13. chest — of your body
  14. firm — a company
  15. cue — a hint
  16. chest — a box
  17. firm — steady
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chest — of your body
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stem — a stem cell

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