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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: tube · wave · bear · mate · nail · court · stick · squash

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. court — of law
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. squash — to crush
  9. court — of a king
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. court — for sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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