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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. squash — the sport
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. swing — in golf
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wind — moving air
  11. tube — the underground
  12. swing — music
  13. file — a tool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cap — a hat
  18. plane — a tool
  19. tube — a container
  20. file — a document
  21. cap — of ice
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. swing — to play on
  24. plane — an aircraft

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