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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. staff — a stick
  4. toast — bread
  5. band — a ring
  6. date — the fruit
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. staff — employees
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. spell — a short time
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. spell — letters
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. band — a music group
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. staff — employees
  23. spell — magic
  24. date — on the calendar

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