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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.

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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. cap — a hat
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cap — a lid
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. tube — the underground
  13. row — a line
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — of ice
  16. tube — a container
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. coach — a trainer

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