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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. swing — music
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rest — what's left
  5. file — a line of people
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. swing — in golf
  8. file — a tool
  9. hand — in cards
  10. swing — to play on
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bark — to shout
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. can — a tin
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hand — help
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. can — to be able to
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rest — a break
  24. tube — a container

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