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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. swing — to play on
  7. file — a tool
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. swing — music
  10. tube — a container
  11. firm — a company
  12. dip — to sink
  13. court — of a king
  14. suit — in cards
  15. file — a line of people
  16. firm — decided
  17. court — for sport
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. court — of law
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. swing — in golf
  24. file — a document

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