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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. track — a path
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bound — tied together
  10. tube — a container
  11. object — a thing
  12. bound — obliged
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bound — certain
  15. file — a document
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rock — a stone
  18. object — to protest
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. file — a tool
  23. object — an aim
  24. track — a song

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