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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: racket · rest · file · last · nail · kick · tube · cue

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rest — a break
  3. file — a line of people
  4. last — finally
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. file — a tool
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. file — a document
  9. tube — a container
  10. kick — in football
  11. cue — a hint
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. last — final
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. last — to go on
  21. tube — the underground
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cue — for pool

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