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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. track — a song
  4. cap — of ice
  5. tube — the underground
  6. row — a line
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. tube — a container
  12. track — a path
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cap — a lid
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cap — a hat
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. face — to confront
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. row — to paddle

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