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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cap — a lid
  4. spell — magic
  5. swing — music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cap — of ice
  9. root — the cause
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cell — a phone
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spell — a short time
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. root — of a word
  18. swing — in golf
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cell — in biology
  21. spell — letters
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. tube — in a tire

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