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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. net — after costs
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. ground — a position
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. tube — the underground
  10. vault — a safe
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ground — crushed
  14. net — for catching
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. net — in sport
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mug — a cup
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. tube — a container
  23. mug — a face
  24. ground — the earth

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