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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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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: mug · ball · stem · wake · cue · hand · tube · lean

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. tube — a container
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mug — a face
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. lean — thin
  15. cue — for pool
  16. hand — help
  17. mug — to rob
  18. hand — in cards
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ball — a round shape

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