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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. spring — a coil
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cue — for pool
  7. tube — a container
  8. kick — in football
  9. spell — magic
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cue — a hint
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. charge — electricity
  16. tube — the underground
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. charge — in control
  19. spell — letters
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. charge — a price
  24. cue — a signal

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