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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. face — to point toward
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. tube — a container
  7. face — part of the head
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. tube — the underground
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. hand — help
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wake — a trail
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. face — to confront
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. patient — a sick person

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