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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: lean · wake · stick · cue · rush · temple · tube · ball

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wake — a trail
  19. tube — a container
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rush — hurry
  24. temple — a place of worship

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