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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: cell · pitch · saw · calf · cue · press · tube · rest

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tube — a container
  5. cell — a phone
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. cue — a hint
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cue — for pool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. press — to push
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. saw — the tool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. press — a publisher

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