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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. current — of water
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wind — moving air
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. staff — a stick
  7. tube — the underground
  8. staff — employees
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — electric
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. scale — size or range
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. scale — in music
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. staff — employees
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. current — happening now
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. deal — to handle

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