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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. present — a gift
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. prune — to trim
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. present — there
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wound — an injury
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. tube — a container
  19. present — the time now
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. prune — to trim
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. root — the cause

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