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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. vault — a safe
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fine — high quality
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. fine — all right
  14. bulb — for light
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tube — a container
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lean — thin
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fine — a penalty

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