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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kid — child
  6. suit — clothes
  7. staff — employees
  8. kid — to tease
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bound — certain
  11. tube — a container
  12. staff — employees
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bound — tied together
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. capital — money
  19. bound — obliged
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. suit — to fit
  22. capital — a city
  23. row — to paddle
  24. suit — in cards

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