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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. file — a document
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. tube — a container
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. file — a tool
  9. shower — rain
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. suit — to fit
  12. shower — to wash
  13. suit — in cards
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pound — a weight
  21. tube — the underground
  22. suit — clothes
  23. file — a line of people
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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