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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: file · tube · toast · suit · mark · shower · lean · clip

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. file — a document
  3. lean — thin
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. clip — for paper
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lean — to bend
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mark — a trace
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mark — a grade
  13. clip — to cut
  14. shower — rain
  15. suit — clothes
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. file — a tool
  21. clip — a video
  22. tube — the underground
  23. suit — to fit
  24. toast — bread

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