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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. tube — a container
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. squash — the sport
  7. land — a country
  8. tube — the underground
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — a stone
  12. land — to come down
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. rock — music
  15. land — ground
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. squash — to crush
  18. snap — to click
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mark — a grade

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