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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. current — electric
  4. tube — the underground
  5. current — of water
  6. suit — in cards
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. tube — a container
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. squash — the sport
  18. suit — to fit
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wake — a trail
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. current — happening now
  24. trunk — of a tree

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