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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 124 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. object — to protest
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. net — for catching
  7. tube — the underground
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. tube — a container
  11. object — an aim
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rock — music
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rock — a stone
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. object — a thing
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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