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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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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. tube — the underground
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. tube — a container
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. file — a line of people
  8. firm — decided
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. face — to point toward
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. file — a document
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. firm — steady
  18. face — to confront
  19. wake — a trail
  20. sharp — clever
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. file — a tool
  24. face — part of the head

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