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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 120 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. craft — boats
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. kid — to tease
  10. court — for sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fine — all right
  13. tube — a container
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fine — high quality
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wind — moving air
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wind — moving air
  20. kid — child
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rush — to hurry

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