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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 116 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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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: cell · last · lie · file · bear · tube · racket · stick

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tube — a container
  4. file — a document
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cell — in biology
  8. file — a tool
  9. lie — to recline
  10. last — final
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. last — to go on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a line of people
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. last — finally
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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