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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. present — the time now
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. present — a gift
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. court — for sport
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. tube — a container
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bear — the animal
  16. present — there
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. court — of a king
  19. tube — the underground
  20. court — of law
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. dip — to sink

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