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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. can — a tin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. can — a tin
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tube — a container
  11. fork — in a road
  12. can — to be able to
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tube — the underground
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. object — an aim
  21. foot — a measure
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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