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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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Word bank
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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. band — a music group
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cue — a signal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. present — a gift
  8. key — for a lock
  9. present — there
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cue — a hint
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. band — a ring
  16. key — in music
  17. cell — a phone
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bear — the animal
  24. present — the time now

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