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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tube — a container
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mate — a friend
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rest — a break
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. nail — for a hammer

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