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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. season — of the year
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wound — an injury
  7. staff — employees
  8. chair — a leader
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. staff — employees
  17. season — in sport
  18. cue — a signal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stem — to come from
  21. tube — a container
  22. fine — all right
  23. staff — a stick
  24. stem — of a plant

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