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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: bat · file · safe · spell · season · staff · tube · jam

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. file — a tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — the underground
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. spell — magic
  8. season — of the year
  9. bat — the animal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — in sport
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. spell — letters
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. file — a document
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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