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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wind — moving air
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. row — a line
  5. wind — moving air
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tube — a container
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. kick — in football
  16. staff — employees
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. kick — a thrill

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