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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: bear · sharp · mate · cue · tube · rush · squash · last

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bear — the animal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. last — finally
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. last — final
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. squash — to crush
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. last — to go on
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bear — the animal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cue — a signal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mate — a partner
  19. tube — a container
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cue — a hint
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mate — a friend

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