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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. chest — of your body
  9. kick — in football
  10. suit — to fit
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. vault — a safe
  15. suit — clothes
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mug — a cup
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. tube — a container
  23. suit — in cards
  24. capital — a big letter

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