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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mine — for digging
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bear — the animal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rest — a break
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. toast — bread
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. board — a committee
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tube — a container
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rest — what's left
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. board — to get on
  24. dip — to dunk

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