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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. chest — a box
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. tube — a container
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. net — after costs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chest — of your body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chest — of your body
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. net — for catching
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. net — in sport
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tube — the underground

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