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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. chair — a leader
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tube — a container
  8. firm — decided
  9. scale — in music
  10. spring — the season
  11. spell — letters
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. firm — steady
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. tube — the underground
  17. spring — of water
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. scale — size or range
  20. firm — a company
  21. spell — magic
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ruler — a monarch

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