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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. foot — a measure
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. tube — the underground
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bore — to drill
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. chair — a leader
  13. hand — in cards
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mug — a cup
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bore — to tire
  18. court — of a king
  19. mug — a face
  20. court — of law
  21. mug — to rob
  22. hand — help
  23. court — for sport
  24. tube — a container

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