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

Word bank: tube · bowl · wind · rock · cue · can · hand · rest

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. can — a tin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rock — a stone
  6. can — a tin
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. hand — in cards
  10. tube — a container
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rock — music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rest — a break
  22. hand — help
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rock — to move gently

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