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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. tube — a container
  3. file — a line of people
  4. face — part of the head
  5. root — of a plant
  6. tube — the underground
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. root — the cause
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. face — to point toward
  16. root — of a word
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. file — a document
  23. face — to confront
  24. chip — for betting

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