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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: branch · tube · cue · ruler · bass · bear · wave · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. tube — the underground
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. branch — a division
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cue — a signal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mate — to breed
  24. tube — a container

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