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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fall — the season
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spring — a coil
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ground — the earth
  10. board — a committee
  11. tube — the underground
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ground — a position
  15. capital — a city
  16. ground — crushed
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — a container
  20. suit — clothes
  21. capital — money
  22. board — to get on
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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