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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: hand · tube · object · trunk · band · ruler · file · jam

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. hand — help
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. object — a thing
  6. tube — the underground
  7. object — to protest
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. band — a music group
  14. hand — in cards
  15. file — a line of people
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. file — a tool
  22. object — an aim
  23. band — a ring
  24. tube — a container

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