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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
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: fine · stick · spring · cell · fall · tube · track · mouse

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. track — a path
  6. cell — a phone
  7. spring — the season
  8. fine — all right
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spring — a coil
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. tube — a container
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. track — a song
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cell — in biology
  24. spring — of water

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