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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. ball — a dance
  3. tube — a container
  4. face — to point toward
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. current — of water
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. face — part of the head
  9. current — electric
  10. root — of a word
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. face — to confront
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. root — of a plant
  19. object — a thing
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. tube — the underground
  22. current — happening now
  23. root — the cause
  24. leaves — of a tree

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