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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. file — a line of people
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. key — in music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. track — a song
  11. object — an aim
  12. stem — to come from
  13. track — a path
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. tube — a container
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tube — the underground
  19. object — to protest
  20. track — to keep track
  21. file — a document
  22. object — a thing
  23. file — a tool
  24. key — for a lock

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