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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. last — final
  3. tube — a container
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cell — a phone
  6. charge — electricity
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bulb — for light
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cell — in biology
  13. last — finally
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. charge — a price
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. last — to go on
  24. charge — in control

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