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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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 — in a tire
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. perch — the fish
  6. current — of water
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fine — all right
  10. tube — a container
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bore — to drill
  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