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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. field — for sport
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stem — to come from
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. swing — music
  10. snap — to click
  11. tube — the underground
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. field — farmland
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. field — a subject
  23. tube — a container
  24. swing — in golf

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