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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: cue · suit · stick · prune · tear · tube · drill · leaves

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cue — for pool
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. drill — army training
  7. tube — a container
  8. suit — in cards
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tube — the underground
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tear — from crying
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. drill — the tool
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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