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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. object — an aim
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ground — crushed
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. object — to protest
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cap — of ice
  11. tube — a container
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mate — a friend
  14. board — to get on
  15. object — a thing
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mate — to breed
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ground — a position
  22. board — a committee
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cell — a phone

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