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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pop — music
  15. chest — a box
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. bound — certain
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bound — obliged
  24. key — in 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