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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. net — for catching
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. roll — a list
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. tube — a container
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. present — a gift
  10. spell — letters
  11. roll — a cake
  12. present — the time now
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. present — there
  15. net — after costs
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tube — the underground
  20. net — in sport
  21. bound — certain
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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