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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bound — certain
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. row — a line
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bank — for money
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. object — to protest
  14. bank — of a river
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bank — for money
  17. bound — obliged
  18. object — an aim
  19. tube — a container
  20. object — a thing
  21. bound — tied together
  22. tube — the underground
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. perch — for a bird

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