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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 116 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: rash · bowl · tube · perch · snap · cue · stem · wound

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cue — for pool
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cue — a signal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. snap — to click
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. tube — a container
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rash — a series
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. perch — the fish
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cue — a hint

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