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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. spring — a coil
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chip — to eat
  10. content — happy
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. ball — a great time
  16. tube — the underground
  17. chip — for betting
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. ball — a dance
  20. tube — a container
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — of water
  23. content — the amount
  24. safe — out of danger

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