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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. present — a gift
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pit — a hole
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. tube — a container
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. present — there
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. tube — the underground
  16. present — the time now
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mark — a trace
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pit — in a race
  24. trunk — 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