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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bulb — for light
  3. file — a line of people
  4. staff — employees
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. toast — bread
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. staff — employees
  12. bore — to tire
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. staff — a stick
  16. file — a tool
  17. bore — to drill
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. spell — magic
  22. file — a document
  23. bulb — for light
  24. toast — the most admired

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