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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. track — a path
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. tube — a container
  7. current — of water
  8. object — to protest
  9. chest — of your body
  10. current — electric
  11. object — an aim
  12. chest — of your body
  13. object — a thing
  14. track — a song
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. track — to keep track
  17. current — happening now
  18. chest — a box

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