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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tube — a container
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fan — a supporter

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