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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. spell — letters
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. can — a tin
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. file — a line of people
  12. can — to be able to
  13. spell — a short time
  14. tube — a container
  15. can — a tin
  16. board — to get on
  17. spell — magic
  18. board — a committee

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