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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bound — certain
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. ball — a dance
  5. file — a document
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rest — a break
  10. firm — decided
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ball — a great time
  13. root — the cause
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — a container
  20. root — of a word
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rest — what's left

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