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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. last — to go on
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. last — finally
  5. firm — a company
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wake — a trail
  10. perch — the fish
  11. kick — in football
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. tube — a container
  15. pit — in a race
  16. can — a tin
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pit — a hole
  19. last — final
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. perch — for a bird

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