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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 120 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bound — certain
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. perch — the fish
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wind — moving air
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bound — obliged
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ruler — for measuring

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