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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stock — goods
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stock — shares
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pound — a weight
  9. last — to go on
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. last — finally
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. tube — the underground
  20. vault — a safe
  21. last — final
  22. tube — a container
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. hide — to keep secret

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