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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. firm — decided
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. current — of water
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — happening now
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. lean — to bend
  11. current — electric
  12. tube — a container
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. firm — steady
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lean — thin
  23. firm — a company
  24. scale — for weighing

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