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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cold · wake · suit · straw · tube · toast · mug · prune

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wake — a trail
  3. tube — the underground
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cold — an illness
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mug — a face
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mug — a cup
  13. prune — to trim
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mug — to rob
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cold — not warm
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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