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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. file — a tool
  3. land — ground
  4. object — a thing
  5. file — a line of people
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. file — a document
  9. pass — a permit
  10. land — to come down
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. land — a country
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. staff — employees
  15. current — happening now
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. object — to protest
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. object — an aim
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. tube — the underground

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