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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. race — humankind
  3. current — happening now
  4. fall — to drop
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — electric
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. current — of water
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fall — the season
  16. tube — a container
  17. row — a line
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — a tin
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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