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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. current — electric
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. tear — to rip
  14. current — happening now
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. current — of water
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ball — a great time

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