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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lean — to bend
  6. charge — electricity
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — to crush
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — to cut
  12. tube — a container
  13. lie — to recline
  14. charge — a price
  15. squash — the sport
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lean — thin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pit — in a race
  21. charge — in control
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. clip — a video

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