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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. shower — to wash
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. spring — of water
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rash — hasty
  11. prune — to trim
  12. shower — rain
  13. prune — to trim
  14. spring — a coil
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tube — a container
  20. rash — a series
  21. spring — the season
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. safe — a strongbox

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