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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wave · kid · track · saw · hide · file · tube · net

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. file — a document
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. tube — a container
  8. kid — child
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. kid — to tease
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. net — for catching
  18. track — to keep track
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. hide — to keep secret

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