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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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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: nail · wake · cue · fan · rush · tube · firm · file

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. tube — a container
  3. cue — a signal
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. file — a tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cue — for pool
  17. firm — a company
  18. file — a document
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. tube — the underground
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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