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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. tube — a container
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. spell — magic
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. row — a line
  15. spell — letters
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pitch — completely
  20. tube — the underground
  21. row — to paddle
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. cabinet — ministers

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