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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 116 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. firm — steady
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fine — all right
  11. land — a country
  12. firm — a company
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. tube — the underground
  15. firm — decided
  16. land — ground
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. land — to come down
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rash — a series
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bear — the animal

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