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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · bat · fine · file · jam · suit · straw · stick

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. file — a document
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. file — a tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. suit — clothes
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fine — all right
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. file — a line of people
  15. fine — high quality
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tube — a container
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. suit — in cards
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bat — the animal

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