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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bulb — for light
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. file — a document
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. file — a tool

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