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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. object — an aim
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. season — of the year
  9. firm — a company
  10. chest — a box
  11. object — a thing
  12. dip — to sink
  13. firm — steady
  14. tube — a container
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chest — of your body
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chest — of your body
  21. object — to protest
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. season — in sport
  24. firm — decided

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