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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: game · cue · wave · wake · last · tear · tube · object

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. object — a thing
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. object — to protest
  6. cue — a signal
  7. last — final
  8. last — finally
  9. object — an aim
  10. tear — from crying
  11. game — wild animals
  12. tear — to rip
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. last — to go on
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. tube — a container
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cue — for pool
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cue — a hint

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