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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: wave · tube · object · club · cabinet · spring · cue · sharp

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cue — for pool
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. spring — the season
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. club — a group
  15. cue — a signal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. club — for golf
  20. sharp — clever
  21. object — a thing
  22. spring — of water
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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