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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. root — of a word
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bulb — for light
  7. clip — a video
  8. bear — the animal
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. branch — a division
  13. root — the cause
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. clip — to cut
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bulb — for light
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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