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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. club — for golf
  5. staff — employees
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bank — for money
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bank — of a river
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bank — for money
  14. content — happy
  15. tube — a container
  16. club — a group
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. spring — of water
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. kick — in football
  21. tube — the underground
  22. spring — the season
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. content — the amount

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