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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.

Make a worksheet

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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. saw — the tool
  5. march — the month
  6. mine — for digging
  7. saw — the tool
  8. march — music
  9. tube — the underground
  10. toast — bread
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. march — the month
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. tube — a container
  24. mine — an explosive

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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