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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. present — the time now
  3. can — a tin
  4. board — a committee
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. present — there
  7. rash — hasty
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rush — hurry
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spring — of water
  18. tube — the underground
  19. present — a gift
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — a series
  23. tube — a container
  24. board — to get on

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