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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · cue · tube · chest · mate · stick · hand · shower

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cue — a hint
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mate — to breed
  9. hand — help
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cue — for pool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cue — a signal
  17. chest — a box
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. shower — to wash
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mate — a partner
  24. chest — of your body

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