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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 124 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. tube — a container
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. date — the fruit
  7. court — of a king
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. rush — hurry
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. suit — clothes
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. tube — the underground
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. season — to add flavour

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