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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wind — moving air
  10. tube — a container
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rash — a series
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fine — all right
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mine — for digging
  24. tube — the underground

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