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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: lean · club · file · cabinet · tube · can · foot · ruler

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. file — a document
  4. club — for dancing
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. club — a group
  8. file — a line of people
  9. lean — to bend
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. can — to be able to
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. club — for golf
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — a container
  19. file — a tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lean — thin
  23. can — a tin
  24. foot — a measure

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