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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. suit — clothes
  3. spring — a coil
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. tube — the underground
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. shower — rain
  9. spring — the season
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tube — a container
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. shower — to wash
  17. scale — in music
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stand — to bear
  20. fork — in a road
  21. spring — of water
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. scale — size or range

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