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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. file — a document
  4. wake — a trail
  5. root — the cause
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — to fit
  10. tube — a container
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. suit — in cards
  18. file — a line of people
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. file — a tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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