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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. saw — the tool
  4. band — a music group
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. band — a ring
  9. rest — a break
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rest — what's left
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pass — a permit

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