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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: pitcher · stick · rule · pass · mate · tube · wake · wave

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. rule — a law
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. tube — a container
  12. rule — government
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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