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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wake — a trail
  4. root — of a plant
  5. can — a tin
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. root — of a word
  8. file — a document
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cap — of ice
  11. march — the month
  12. root — the cause
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. can — a tin
  16. march — the month
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cap — a hat
  19. file — a tool
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. march — music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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