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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. snap — to click
  3. roll — a list
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. lean — thin
  9. toast — bread
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. tube — a container
  12. rush — hurry
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rock — music
  16. roll — a cake
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rock — a stone
  24. lean — to bend

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