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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. tube — the underground
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. object — to protest
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. field — farmland
  10. track — a path
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. perch — the fish
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. track — a song
  16. field — a subject
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. field — for sport
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. tube — a container
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. trunk — of a tree

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