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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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468
Word bank
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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. present — the time now
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. craft — boats
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tube — a container
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. file — a document
  12. tube — the underground
  13. present — there
  14. mate — a partner
  15. craft — a skill
  16. present — a gift
  17. mate — a friend
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mate — to breed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. file — a tool

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