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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 116 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. track — a path
  4. craft — boats
  5. root — the cause
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. track — to keep track
  8. branch — a division
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. craft — a skill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tube — a container
  15. root — of a plant
  16. kick — in football
  17. tube — the underground
  18. root — of a word
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. track — a song
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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