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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bank — of a river
  3. snap — to click
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. firm — decided
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. firm — steady
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cell — a phone
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. spring — the season
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. spring — of water
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — in biology
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. tube — a container
  20. bank — for money
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bank — for money
  23. firm — a company
  24. rock — music

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