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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. firm — steady
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. firm — decided
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. capital — a city
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — money
  20. tube — a container
  21. kick — in football
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. firm — a company
  24. bowl — a dish

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