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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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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: kid · bay · tube · mate · file · firm · can · suit

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mate — a friend
  3. can — a tin
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tube — the underground
  8. firm — decided
  9. can — to be able to
  10. file — a line of people
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. tube — a container
  20. can — a tin
  21. kid — child
  22. firm — a company
  23. suit — in cards
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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