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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — in music
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. tube — a container
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. kid — to tease
  11. tube — the underground
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rush — hurry
  14. scale — size or range
  15. board — to get on
  16. dip — to sink
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — child
  24. rush — to hurry

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