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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mate — a friend
  9. squash — the sport
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pound — a weight
  13. tube — the underground
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. craft — a skill
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. craft — boats
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. foot — a measure
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. deal — to handle
  23. squash — to crush
  24. tube — a container

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