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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 120 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: game · root · wave · file · cell · pass · rock · tube

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. file — a tool
  3. tube — a container
  4. root — of a word
  5. cell — in biology
  6. root — the cause
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. file — a document
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rock — a stone
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rock — music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. file — a line of people
  24. cell — a phone

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