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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: wake · tear · tube · rash · cue · arm · last · pit

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rash — a series
  3. last — to go on
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wake — a trail
  8. tube — the underground
  9. last — final
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. last — finally
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tube — a container
  23. pit — a hole
  24. tear — to rip

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