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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
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: racket · bear · roll · lie · tube · cabinet · file · season

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bear — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. season — of the year
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. roll — a cake
  16. lie — to recline
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. tube — the underground
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — a container
  24. bear — the animal

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