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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: mouse · racket · wind · tube · staff · bound · swing · file

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. swing — music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. wind — moving air
  6. file — a line of people
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. swing — to play on
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bound — certain
  18. swing — in golf
  19. file — a document
  20. staff — a stick
  21. file — a tool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. staff — employees
  24. bound — tied together

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