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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.

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: cue · wave · bound · band · tube · hide · pitcher · file

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cue — for pool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bound — tied together
  8. file — a document
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. band — a music group
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. tube — a container
  13. cue — a hint
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. band — a ring
  20. cue — a signal
  21. file — a tool
  22. bound — certain
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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