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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tube — the underground
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spell — letters

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