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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tear — from crying
  3. current — electric
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. suit — to fit
  6. season — of the year
  7. tear — from crying
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. current — happening now
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. suit — in cards
  14. current — of water
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. tube — a container
  22. suit — clothes
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. season — in sport

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