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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. file — a line of people
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. hand — help
  7. file — a document
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hand — in cards
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. file — a tool
  14. suit — to fit
  15. ball — a great time
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. wind — moving air
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ball — a dance
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wind — to turn a key

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