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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: cue · tube · can · mark · wake · bound · clip · rash

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bound — certain
  7. cue — a signal
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mark — a trace
  10. clip — a video
  11. wake — a trail
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rash — hasty
  16. can — a tin
  17. clip — to cut
  18. tube — a container
  19. clip — for paper
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rash — a series
  22. can — a tin
  23. mark — a grade
  24. can — to be able to

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