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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. charge — a price
  8. swing — music
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. charge — electricity
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mine — for digging
  21. charge — in control
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. leaves — 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