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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pop — music
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cap — of ice
  9. craft — a skill
  10. shower — to wash
  11. cap — a hat
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. tube — a container
  16. pop — soda
  17. craft — boats
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. toast — bread
  20. shower — rain
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cap — a lid
  24. arm — part of the body

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