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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 124 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. spring — of water
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. plane — a tool
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. foot — a measure
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. spring — a coil
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. scale — in music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fan — a supporter

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