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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. file — a document
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rock — a stone
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. file — a tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lean — thin
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lean — to bend
  15. degree — temperature
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tube — a container
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. staff — employees
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. staff — a stick

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