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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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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: spring · file · content · cabinet · ruler · can · land · tube

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. spring — a coil
  4. content — happy
  5. file — a tool
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. file — a document
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — of water
  11. land — to come down
  12. can — a tin
  13. land — ground
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spring — the season
  16. tube — a container
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. content — the amount
  19. can — to be able to
  20. tube — the underground
  21. land — a country
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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