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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. season — in sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tube — the underground
  12. can — to be able to
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. can — a tin
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pop — soda
  19. tube — a container
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pop — music
  22. season — of the year
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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