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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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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: mouse · tube · trunk · roll · pass · file · present · bulb

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. file — a tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. present — a gift
  10. tube — a container
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a document
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. present — there
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. present — the time now
  17. pass — a permit
  18. roll — a list
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. file — a line of people
  24. tube — the underground

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