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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. tube — a container
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. firm — a company
  7. drill — the tool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. drill — a practice
  11. file — a tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. tube — the underground
  14. firm — steady
  15. file — a document
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. lean — thin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — to bend
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. firm — decided
  24. tube — in a tire

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