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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. clip — to cut
  3. cue — for pool
  4. clip — a video
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. face — part of the head
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. clip — for paper
  9. face — to confront
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. present — the time now
  12. branch — a division
  13. tube — the underground
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cue — a signal
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. tube — a container
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cue — a hint

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