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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bear — the animal
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. foot — a measure
  8. can — a tin
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. tube — the underground
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — the animal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. key — in music
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. key — the most important part
  23. can — a tin
  24. dip — to sink

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