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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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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: stick · safe · tube · fall · cue · stand · file · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tube — a container
  6. stand — to bear
  7. file — a line of people
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mark — a grade
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. fall — the season
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fall — to drop
  19. file — a document
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. file — a tool
  24. tube — in a tire

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