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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. file — a document
  10. pop — to visit
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. tube — the underground
  14. drill — a practice
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. file — a tool
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. drill — army training
  21. pop — soda
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pop — music
  24. drill — the 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