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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bank — of a river
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pound — a weight
  7. file — a line of people
  8. land — to come down
  9. rock — music
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bank — for money
  14. land — ground
  15. rock — a stone
  16. file — a document
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bank — for money
  19. land — a country
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. file — a tool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lie — to recline

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