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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.

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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 · straw · tube · stem · current · wind · pass · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wind — moving air
  3. current — electric
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cue — a hint
  6. stem — to come from
  7. tube — a container
  8. cue — for pool
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wind — moving air
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cue — a signal
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wind — to turn a key

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