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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: wake · fall · straw · fan · tube · cue · bay · cabinet

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. fall — the season
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tube — a container
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cue — a signal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cue — a hint
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. tube — the underground
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fall — to drop
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. fan — a supporter
  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