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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bear — the animal
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pop — to visit
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. snap — to click
  21. lean — thin
  22. prune — to trim
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bear — the animal

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