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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mark — a trace
  6. degree — an amount
  7. mark — a grade
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. degree — temperature
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wake — a trail
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tube — a container
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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