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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 120 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 · deal · last · net · chest · bowl · rock · tube

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. chest — a box
  3. deal — to handle
  4. net — after costs
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rock — music
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. file — a tool
  13. tube — a container
  14. net — for catching
  15. rock — a stone
  16. last — final
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tube — the underground
  19. net — in sport
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. file — a document
  23. last — finally
  24. rock — to move gently

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