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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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. mine — an explosive
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. tube — a container
  15. lie — to recline
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mine — for digging
  18. kick — in football
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. coach — a trainer

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