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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. spring — the season
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. content — happy
  11. object — to protest
  12. tube — a container
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fine — all right
  16. content — the amount
  17. fine — high quality
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. object — an aim

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