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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. spell — letters
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. tube — the underground
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tube — a container
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. spell — a short time
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. spell — magic
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pass — a permit

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