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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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468
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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. deal — to handle
  3. object — an aim
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. root — of a plant
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. spring — of water
  8. object — a thing
  9. root — of a word
  10. tube — the underground
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spring — the season
  16. root — the cause
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. object — to protest
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. perch — the fish
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spring — a coil
  24. tube — in a tire

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