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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mine — for digging
  6. current — of water
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. current — electric
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. current — happening now
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bank — for money
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bank — for money
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bear — the animal
  23. swing — music
  24. bank — of a river

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