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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bank — for money
  5. pop — to visit
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — a container
  8. pop — soda
  9. root — the cause
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bank — of a river
  14. root — of a word
  15. rash — a series
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. snap — to click
  18. bank — for money
  19. pop — music
  20. tube — the underground
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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