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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. branch — a division
  4. spell — letters
  5. cue — a hint
  6. spell — magic
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. last — final
  9. tube — a container
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ground — a position
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rush — hurry
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cue — for pool
  23. lash — to lash out
  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