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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mark — a grade
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tube — a container
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mark — a trace
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wind — moving air
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wind — moving air
  14. scale — size or range
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. scale — in music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. hide — to keep secret

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