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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. club — a group
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. charge — electricity
  5. tube — a container
  6. lie — to recline
  7. craft — a skill
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rush — hurry
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. craft — boats
  12. hand — in cards
  13. charge — in control
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hand — help
  18. charge — a price
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. club — for golf
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tube — the underground
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. craft — a handicraft

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