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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rock — a stone
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rash — hasty
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. perch — the fish
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. toast — bread
  15. rock — music
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. toast — the most admired

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