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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. tube — the underground
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. tube — a container
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. shower — rain
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. shower — to wash
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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