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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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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: plane · tear · chest · pit · cue · wave · tube · sharp

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. chest — a box
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cue — a signal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. chest — of your body
  17. sharp — clever
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cue — a hint
  23. plane — a tool
  24. sharp — exactly

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