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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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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: ruler · cue · saw · stick · hide · tube · leaves · rest

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cue — a signal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. tube — a container
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cue — for pool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cue — a hint
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rest — a break
  24. ruler — for measuring

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