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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. spell — letters
  4. saw — the tool
  5. march — the month
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — a container
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. march — music
  12. file — a document
  13. saw — the tool
  14. march — the month
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stand — to bear
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. tube — the underground
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stand — for spectators

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