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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 116 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
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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: wake · cue · net · leaves · chair · dip · stem · tube

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wake — a trail
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cue — a hint
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. net — for catching
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. net — after costs
  19. tube — a container
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. net — in sport
  23. cue — for pool
  24. chair — to sit on

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