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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. file — a tool
  5. mark — a grade
  6. squash — to crush
  7. degree — an amount
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. tube — a container
  12. mark — a trace
  13. file — a document
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. degree — from a university
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wake — a trail

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