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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. tube — a container
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. hand — help
  13. stock — goods
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stand — to bear
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stock — shares
  23. kick — in football
  24. hand — 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