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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bore — to tire
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. snap — to click
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. spring — of water
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. tube — a container
  14. cap — a hat
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fork — in a road
  18. spring — the season
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mark — a trace
  23. firm — decided
  24. tube — the underground

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