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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · spring · deal · fall · nail · tube · file · bound

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. spring — of water
  3. fall — to drop
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bound — certain
  6. tube — a container
  7. bound — tied together
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fall — to drop
  13. file — a tool
  14. spring — the season
  15. file — a line of people
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fall — the season
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. spring — a coil
  22. file — a document
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bound — obliged

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