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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: current · cue · row · stick · stand · tube · fall · bore

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. row — a line
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cue — a signal
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fall — to drop
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bore — to drill
  13. current — happening now
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. tube — the underground
  16. current — of water
  17. fall — the season
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. tube — a container
  20. row — to paddle
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. current — electric

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