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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. root — of a word
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. root — the cause
  8. fork — in a road
  9. suit — clothes
  10. root — of a plant
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. file — a tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. suit — in cards
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. suit — to fit
  24. can — a tin

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