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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. tube — the underground
  8. row — to paddle
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stem — to come from
  13. tube — a container
  14. cue — a hint
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cue — for pool
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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