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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bound — certain
  10. squash — the sport
  11. current — happening now
  12. squash — to crush
  13. current — electric
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. current — of water
  18. tube — a container
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pass — a permit

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