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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: sharp · temple · file · cue · bass · wake · tube · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cue — a hint
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. file — a document
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. tube — a container
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. file — a tool
  24. wake — a trail

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