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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chip — to eat
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. tube — the underground
  8. staff — a stick
  9. tube — a container
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. shower — to wash
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. shower — rain
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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