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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 116 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'll be taking the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. game — a match
  4. tube — a container
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. land — ground
  7. object — a thing
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. prune — to trim
  10. land — to come down
  11. mark — a trace
  12. object — to protest
  13. rock — music
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. object — an aim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rock — a stone
  20. land — a country
  21. mark — a grade
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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