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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. drill — a practice
  4. kick — in football
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. tube — the underground
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. tube — a container
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. club — for golf
  15. pass — a permit
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. saw — the tool
  21. club — a group
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend 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