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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: chip · cue · tube · bound · file · wake · wind · rush

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. tube — a container
  3. file — a document
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. file — a tool
  14. bound — certain
  15. file — a line of people
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wind — moving air

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