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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bank — for money
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bank — of a river
  7. game — wild animals
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. game — a match
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. key — the most important part
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bulb — for light
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bulb — for light
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. key — in music
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. key — for a lock
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bank — for money

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