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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: lean · court · dip · fan · rock · file · tube · craft

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rock — music
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rock — a stone
  6. craft — boats
  7. file — a document
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. lean — thin
  13. craft — a skill
  14. tube — a container
  15. court — of law
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lean — to bend
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. file — a tool

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