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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. squash — to crush
  3. tube — a container
  4. track — a song
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. suit — to fit
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. perch — the fish
  10. tube — the underground
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. suit — in cards
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. sharp — clever
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. track — to keep track
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. track — a path
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. suit — clothes

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