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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rash — a series
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tube — a container
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. spell — magic
  15. rush — hurry
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. spell — a short time
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spell — letters

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