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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. object — a thing
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. land — ground
  6. object — to protest
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. land — to come down
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. land — a country
  13. bear — the animal
  14. object — an aim
  15. tube — a container
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kick — in football
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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