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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bound — obliged
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fine — high quality
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bound — certain
  11. fine — all right
  12. cell — in biology
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. object — a thing
  16. tube — a container
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ground — the earth
  21. object — an aim
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ground — a position

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