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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. key — for a lock
  15. tube — the underground
  16. key — the most important part
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kick — in football
  20. land — to come down
  21. tube — a container
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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