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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · tube · leaves · racket · cap · safe · chest · bass

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. tube — the underground
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cap — a lid
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. tube — a container
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cap — of ice
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bass — the fish
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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