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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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. fork — a garden tool
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. current — of water
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. current — electric
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. current — happening now
  15. content — happy
  16. file — a tool
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. file — a line of people
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. content — the amount
  24. rush — hurry

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