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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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tear — to rip
  3. prune — to trim
  4. scale — in music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. tube — the underground
  9. scale — size or range
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tube — a container
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. charge — a price
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — to trim

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