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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · tube · foot · drill · cue · dip · stick · fan

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. drill — a practice
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cue — a signal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tube — the underground
  17. date — the fruit
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cue — a hint
  20. drill — army training
  21. cue — for pool
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. drill — the tool

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