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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. saw — the tool
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rash — a series
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. tube — the underground
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. tube — a container
  24. rash — hasty

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