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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. key — in music
  4. file — a document
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rest — what's left
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mug — a cup
  14. tube — a container
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mug — a face
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rest — a break
  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