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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fall — to drop
  4. file — a document
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fall — the season
  7. pop — to visit
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. file — a tool
  11. date — the fruit
  12. staff — employees
  13. pop — soda
  14. tube — a container
  15. pop — music
  16. rush — hurry
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. file — a line of people
  19. staff — employees
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. staff — a stick

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