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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 120 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 · face · lean · vault · pitcher · cue · bear · wave

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. lean — thin
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. tube — a container
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bear — the animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lean — to bend
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cue — a signal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bear — the animal
  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