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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. last — final
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. suit — to fit
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. suit — clothes
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. spring — of water
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. spring — the season
  18. suit — in cards
  19. last — finally
  20. rock — music
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pop — to visit
  23. last — to go on
  24. rush — to hurry

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