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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: tube · cabinet · wake · net · band · current · rest · sharp

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. net — for catching
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. tube — a container
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. net — after costs
  17. band — a music group
  18. rest — a break
  19. tube — the underground
  20. current — electric
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. net — in sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. band — a ring

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