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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. craft — a skill
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rash — hasty
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lean — to bend
  7. toast — bread
  8. net — for catching
  9. rash — a series
  10. craft — boats
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rock — music
  13. tube — the underground
  14. net — after costs
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lean — thin
  18. rock — a stone
  19. content — the amount
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. tube — a container
  22. net — in sport
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. content — happy

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