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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · land · tube · leaves · spring · squash · present · bear

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. spring — the season
  3. tube — a container
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. spring — of water
  7. file — a tool
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. present — there
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. bear — the animal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spring — a coil
  17. land — a country
  18. file — a document
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. present — a gift
  21. bear — the animal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. tube — the underground
  24. present — the time now

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