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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 116 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 · nail · hand · season · row · rest · bound · tube

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. row — to paddle
  3. cue — a signal
  4. season — of the year
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. bound — obliged
  19. row — a line
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rest — a break
  24. tube — a container

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