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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. snap — to click
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mug — a face
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. shower — rain
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. staff — employees
  20. shower — to wash
  21. tube — a container
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mug — a cup

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