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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wind — moving air
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. snap — to click
  8. rest — a break
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. face — to confront
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. craft — boats
  15. suit — clothes
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. tube — a container
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. craft — a skill
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. suit — in cards
  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