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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. tube — the underground
  3. saw — the tool
  4. tube — a container
  5. file — a tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bank — for money
  9. rush — hurry
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. rock — a stone
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. file — a document
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rock — music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. file — a line of people

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