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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. clip — a video
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — a container
  10. wound — an injury
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. dip — to sink
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ruler — for measuring

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