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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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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: rash · tube · wave · date · cue · charge · stick · wind

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. charge — a price
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rash — a series
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rash — hasty
  21. charge — in control
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. tube — a container
  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