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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 120 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cell — a phone
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. tube — a container
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. file — a document
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. file — a tool
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cell — in biology
  24. fork — to eat with

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