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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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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: cap · straw · stem · rush · suit · march · cue · tube

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. march — music
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rush — hurry
  9. march — the month
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. suit — clothes
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cue — a hint
  18. march — the month
  19. stem — to come from
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cap — a lid
  22. tube — a container
  23. suit — to fit
  24. straw — a straw man

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