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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: present · cue · tube · bore · lean · shower · wake · file

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. file — a line of people
  3. shower — rain
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. file — a tool
  7. lean — thin
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. present — the time now
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. file — a document
  12. tube — a container
  13. wake — a trail
  14. present — there
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bore — to drill
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cue — a hint
  23. present — a gift
  24. wake — before a funeral

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