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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lean — to bend
  3. saw — the tool
  4. race — a contest
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. race — the arms race
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lean — thin
  20. tube — a container
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mark — a grade
  23. race — humankind
  24. lean — to rest against

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