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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mark — a trace
  3. race — a contest
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — bread
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. tube — a container
  9. race — humankind
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wake — a trail
  17. can — a tin
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. race — the arms race
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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