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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mark — a trace
  3. object — an aim
  4. mark — a grade
  5. chip — for betting
  6. object — a thing
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. lean — thin
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. tube — the underground
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. shower — rain
  16. object — to protest
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tube — a container
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. lean — to bend

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