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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. suit — in cards
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. suit — to fit
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. track — to keep track
  11. root — the cause
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. suit — clothes
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cell — a phone
  21. lean — thin
  22. root — of a word
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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