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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bat — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. file — a tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ball — a great time
  12. tube — a container
  13. object — to protest
  14. bass — low music
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ball — a dance
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bat — for baseball

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