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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. last — to go on
  3. tube — a container
  4. root — of a word
  5. last — finally
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rest — a break
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. board — to get on
  12. last — final
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bear — the animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. root — the cause
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. root — of a plant
  22. board — a committee
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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