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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: tube · fall · pop · file · season · object · leaves · deal

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fall — the season
  3. season — in sport
  4. pop — music
  5. deal — to handle
  6. file — a line of people
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. object — to protest
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pop — soda
  11. file — a document
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fall — to drop
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. object — an aim
  22. fall — to drop
  23. file — a tool
  24. pop — to visit

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