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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. face — to confront
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. pit — a hole
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ground — the earth
  10. face — part of the head
  11. object — to protest
  12. tube — the underground
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pit — in a race
  16. ground — crushed
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. object — a thing
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. object — an aim
  24. tube — a container

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