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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pop — soda
  4. can — a tin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bank — for money
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bass — low music
  10. rash — hasty
  11. tube — a container
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pop — music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. can — a tin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rash — a series
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bank — for money
  20. pop — to visit
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. can — to be able to
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tube — the underground

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