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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: wave · track · tube · hide · mate · firm · cabinet · pitcher

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — a song
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mate — a partner
  11. firm — a company
  12. mate — a friend
  13. tube — a container
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. track — a path
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mate — to breed
  23. firm — decided
  24. hide — to keep secret

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