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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: file · cap · tube · suit · jam · bear · hand · spring

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. spring — of water
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cap — of ice
  11. hand — in cards
  12. spring — the season
  13. suit — clothes
  14. hand — help
  15. cap — a hat
  16. spring — a coil
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. cap — a lid
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. file — a document
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. suit — in cards
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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