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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 116 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: pit · can · file · staff · lean · snap · tube · last

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. file — a document
  4. tube — the underground
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. staff — employees
  8. can — to be able to
  9. last — finally
  10. pit — a hole
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. can — a tin
  13. snap — to click
  14. last — to go on
  15. can — a tin
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. last — final
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pit — in a race
  20. staff — employees
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. staff — a stick
  24. lean — to bend

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