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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 120 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. file — a document
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. key — for a lock
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pound — a weight
  18. file — a tool
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. file — a line of people
  21. key — in music
  22. lean — thin
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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