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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. chair — a leader
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. tube — a container
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. clip — a video
  11. mug — a face
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mug — a cup
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tube — the underground
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. clip — to cut
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mug — to rob

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