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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: file · mate · bear · leaves · snap · stock · tube · rule

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bear — the animal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rule — government
  7. mate — to breed
  8. snap — to click
  9. rule — a law
  10. stock — goods
  11. file — a tool
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. tube — the underground
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stock — shares
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. file — a line of people
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. file — a document
  23. tube — a container
  24. bear — to put up with

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