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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lean — thin
  5. tube — a container
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cell — a phone
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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