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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: cap · fall · perch · bulb · toast · file · tube · rock

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cap — a lid
  5. tube — a container
  6. fall — to drop
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rock — music
  9. cap — a hat
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. file — a document
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. toast — bread
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. file — a line of people
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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