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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. tube — a container
  6. swing — to play on
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cap — a lid
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bulb — for light
  13. foot — a measure
  14. tube — the underground
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cap — a hat
  18. row — a line
  19. cap — of ice
  20. swing — in golf
  21. face — to confront
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. swing — music
  24. face — part of the head

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