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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tube — a container
  5. lean — thin
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cap — of ice
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. file — a document
  11. cap — a lid
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. drill — the tool
  14. lean — to bend
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. charge — in control
  24. cap — a hat

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