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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 · cue · suit · wind · wake · fan · saw · snap

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. snap — to click
  11. tube — a container
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wake — a trail
  14. suit — to fit
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cue — a signal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. suit — clothes
  24. tube — the underground

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