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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 · bat · suit · tube · cue · bank · plane · toast

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bat — the animal
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bank — for money
  8. cue — a hint
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cue — for pool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. suit — in cards
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bank — of a river
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. file — a tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cue — a signal

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