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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rest — what's left
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. current — happening now
  10. kick — in football
  11. bark — to shout
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. current — of water
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. current — electric
  20. tube — a container
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rest — a break
  24. racket — for tennis

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