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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. tube — a container
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. staff — employees
  10. bound — certain
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. tube — the underground
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bound — tied together
  16. sharp — clever
  17. staff — employees
  18. roll — a list
  19. rush — hurry
  20. roll — a cake
  21. toast — bread
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. cabinet — ministers

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