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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bound — tied together
  3. current — electric
  4. tube — a container
  5. perch — the fish
  6. court — for sport
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. court — of a king
  9. current — happening now
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mate — a partner
  14. branch — a division
  15. mate — to breed
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mate — a friend
  21. current — of water
  22. bound — certain
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. court — of law

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