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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. squash — the sport
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mug — a face
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stand — to bear
  9. face — part of the head
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mug — a cup
  14. face — to point toward
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. face — to confront
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. stand — for spectators

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