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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fine — all right
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wake — a trail
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. kick — in football
  18. fine — high quality
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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