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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. last — finally
  10. file — a tool
  11. last — to go on
  12. mug — a face
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bear — the animal
  21. file — a document
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. last — final

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