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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. suit — clothes
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cell — a phone
  5. suit — to fit
  6. snap — to click
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. track — to keep track
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — clever
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. track — a path
  14. suit — in cards
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tube — a container
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rest — what's left
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — a break
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. can — to be able to
  24. track — a song

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