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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. root — the cause
  5. squash — the sport
  6. hand — in cards
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. craft — a skill
  9. root — of a word
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. spring — a coil
  13. hand — help
  14. tube — the underground
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. craft — boats
  17. root — of a plant
  18. spring — of water
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. squash — to crush
  23. snap — to click
  24. spring — the season

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