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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spring — of water
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ball — a great time
  10. last — to go on
  11. cell — in biology
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. spring — a coil
  15. last — finally
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. tube — a container
  18. last — final
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. spring — the season
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lean — to bend
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lean — thin

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