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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. tube — a container
  3. sharp — clever
  4. file — a line of people
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. board — to get on
  7. file — a document
  8. bear — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. file — a tool
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. tube — the underground
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. shower — to wash
  22. board — a committee
  23. bear — the animal
  24. shower — rain

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