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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. can — a tin
  3. tube — a container
  4. last — finally
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. chip — to eat
  14. can — to be able to
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. chip — for betting
  17. last — final
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tube — the underground
  24. last — to go on

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