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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: tube · file · stock · rash · dip · cap · hand · fine

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stock — shares
  4. dip — to sink
  5. tube — a container
  6. cap — of ice
  7. file — a document
  8. stock — goods
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. hand — in cards
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. file — a tool
  17. cap — a hat
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. file — a line of people
  23. cap — a lid
  24. dip — a sauce

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