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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wind — moving air
  6. file — a tool
  7. bass — low music
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wind — moving air
  10. tube — a container
  11. file — a document
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pass — a permit
  22. suit — to fit
  23. file — a line of people
  24. racket — a loud noise

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