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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. tube — a container
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wake — a trail
  13. snap — to click
  14. scale — in music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. hide — to keep secret

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