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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. file — a document
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tube — a container
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. file — a tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. tube — the underground
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — shares
  21. fine — all right
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stock — goods
  24. rock — to move gently

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