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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rush — hurry
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cell — in biology
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. chip — to eat
  17. tube — a container
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bass — low music
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. cell — a phone

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