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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. file — a document
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tube — a container
  10. wake — a trail
  11. file — a tool
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mug — a face
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fork — in a road
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mug — to rob

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