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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: capital · bulb · mouse · tube · wake · suit · rest · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wake — a trail
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. capital — money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. tube — a container
  12. rest — a break
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. capital — a city
  24. cell — in biology

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