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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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cap — a lid
  3. key — the most important part
  4. degree — temperature
  5. file — a document
  6. cap — of ice
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. file — a tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. degree — from a university
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. degree — an amount
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lie — an untruth

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