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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. staff — employees
  5. tube — the underground
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. staff — employees
  8. race — the arms race
  9. staff — a stick
  10. race — a contest
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. tube — a container
  16. snap — to click
  17. saw — the tool
  18. race — humankind

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