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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. swing — music
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. tube — a container
  7. swing — to play on
  8. net — for catching
  9. chest — a box
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. tube — the underground
  13. chip — to eat
  14. branch — a division
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chip — for betting
  18. swing — in golf
  19. dip — to sink
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. net — in sport
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. net — after costs
  24. chip — in a computer

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