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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 120 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'll be taking the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cap — a hat
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. net — for catching
  7. cap — a lid
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. pit — in a race
  11. clip — a video
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cap — of ice
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. tube — a container
  18. pass — a permit
  19. clip — for paper
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bound — obliged
  24. lean — thin

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