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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. present — the time now
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. race — a contest
  18. plane — a tool
  19. race — humankind
  20. bulb — for light
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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