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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. band — a ring
  3. spring — of water
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. tube — a container
  6. spring — the season
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. tube — the underground
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. suit — to fit
  13. spring — a coil
  14. suit — in cards
  15. snap — to click
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. leaves — of a tree

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