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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. plane — a tool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mine — for digging
  7. roll — a list
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. hand — help
  13. bank — for money
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. tube — a container
  18. roll — a cake
  19. charge — a price
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. firm — decided
  24. bank — of a river

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