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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. chip — to eat
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fine — all right
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — the season
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spring — of water
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. tube — a container
  23. spring — a coil
  24. tube — the underground

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