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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. object — a thing
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. degree — an amount
  6. charge — in control
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stem — to come from
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. sharp — clever
  13. root — of a word
  14. charge — electricity
  15. degree — temperature
  16. object — an aim
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. tube — the underground
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. degree — from a university
  21. object — to protest
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. charge — a price

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