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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cue — a hint
  3. field — for sport
  4. object — an aim
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cue — a signal
  7. field — a subject
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. bear — the animal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. field — farmland
  14. tube — a container
  15. face — to confront
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. object — a thing
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. object — to protest
  23. tube — the underground
  24. hide — animal skin

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