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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: tube · fine · cabinet · bulb · stock · key · file · tear

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. tube — a container
  3. tear — to rip
  4. file — a tool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stock — shares
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bulb — for light
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. key — in music
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stock — goods
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fine — all right

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