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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. suit — to fit
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bank — for money
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. suit — in cards
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. file — a line of people
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. file — a tool
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wake — a trail
  23. kid — child
  24. file — a document

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