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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. lie — to recline
  10. tube — a container
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. land — to come down
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pop — soda
  23. sharp — clever
  24. craft — boats

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