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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: tube · staff · club · bound · plane · file · lie · can

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bound — obliged
  3. lie — to recline
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. can — a tin
  8. file — a line of people
  9. staff — employees
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. club — for golf
  13. bound — certain
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bound — tied together
  17. tube — the underground
  18. staff — a stick
  19. tube — a container
  20. staff — employees
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. tube — in a tire

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