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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. file — a tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. file — a document
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bound — tied together
  7. firm — a company
  8. fall — the season
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. firm — steady
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bound — certain
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bound — obliged
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. swing — music
  22. kid — child
  23. firm — decided
  24. tube — the underground

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