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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. degree — from a university
  9. roll — a list
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. kick — in football
  16. degree — temperature
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. degree — an amount
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. roll — a cake
  24. net — for catching

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