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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. charge — a price
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. track — to keep track
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. snap — to click
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. tube — a container
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. tube — the underground
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. charge — electricity
  17. track — a path
  18. row — to paddle
  19. charge — in control
  20. lean — to bend
  21. row — a line
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. track — a song
  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