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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 116 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
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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: key · court · saw · file · mine · tube · fall · staff

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. staff — employees
  3. file — a line of people
  4. staff — a stick
  5. tube — a container
  6. mine — for digging
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. file — a document
  10. fall — to drop
  11. court — of law
  12. saw — the tool
  13. court — of a king
  14. fall — to drop
  15. key — the most important part
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. staff — employees
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. key — for a lock
  21. court — for sport
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. file — a tool
  24. key — in music

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