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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bank — of a river
  3. tube — a container
  4. capital — money
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mate — to breed
  9. lean — to bend
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bank — for money
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. capital — a city
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mate — a friend
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bank — for money
  24. lean — thin

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