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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rash — a series
  3. bank — for money
  4. swing — to play on
  5. charge — in control
  6. tube — the underground
  7. band — a ring
  8. charge — a price
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. tube — a container
  11. bank — of a river
  12. swing — music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stem — to come from
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. charge — electricity
  18. swing — in golf
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. band — a music group
  23. bank — for money
  24. stem — of a plant

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