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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 124 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bank — for money
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bound — obliged
  12. file — a tool
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pop — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. bass — the fish
  21. file — a line of people
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. file — a document
  24. bound — certain

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