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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 · present · pit · mate · can · arm · fall

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. can — to be able to
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. can — a tin
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cue — a signal
  11. present — a gift
  12. pit — in a race
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. present — the time now
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. can — a tin
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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