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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: cue · roll · prune · tube · tear · suit · fan · leaves

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. tear — to rip
  2. suit — to fit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cue — a signal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tear — from crying
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. suit — clothes
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. suit — in cards
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — a cake
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. tube — a container
  20. tear — from crying
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. fan — to cool the air
  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