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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stand — to bear
  3. charge — in control
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. tube — a container
  8. lean — thin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. file — a line of people
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. charge — a price
  14. file — a tool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wound — an injury
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — to tease
  23. charge — electricity
  24. lean — to bend

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