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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. chest — of your body
  4. tube — the underground
  5. staff — employees
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chest — a box
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stem — to come from
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. staff — employees
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tube — a container
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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