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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: cue · can · rest · tube · bank · sharp · mug · cold

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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. cold — not warm
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — for money
  9. tube — a container
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bank — for money
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mug — a cup
  15. sharp — clever
  16. tube — the underground
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. mug — a face
  20. cold — an illness
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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