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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. capital — money
  8. craft — boats
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. present — the time now
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tube — the underground
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bound — certain
  16. tube — a container
  17. capital — a city
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bound — tied together
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. present — there
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. craft — a skill
  24. present — a gift

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