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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. club — for dancing
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. band — a music group
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. club — a group
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. club — for golf
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. roll — a list
  22. tube — a container
  23. spell — magic
  24. mouse — the animal

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