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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.

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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 · last · hide · cue · pass · dip · spring · jam

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. spring — of water
  4. cue — for pool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. dip — to sink
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cue — a hint
  18. last — final
  19. pass — a permit
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spring — the season

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