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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. tube — a container
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fall — the season
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. snap — to click
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. current — electric
  13. fall — to drop
  14. current — happening now
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fine — all right
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — of water
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. kick — in football

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