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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. ground — a position
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. suit — in cards
  6. clip — a video
  7. ground — crushed
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lean — thin
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ground — the earth
  17. suit — to fit
  18. tube — a container
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. suit — clothes
  21. dip — to sink
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lean — to rest against

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