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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mate — to breed
  4. spring — a coil
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. root — of a word
  7. tube — a container
  8. mate — a partner
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. spring — the season
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rest — a break
  20. root — of a plant
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stem — to come from
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spring — of water

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