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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. spring — the season
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. bound — tied together
  7. drill — army training
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. degree — an amount
  13. suit — in cards
  14. drill — a practice
  15. tube — a container
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bound — certain
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bound — obliged

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