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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. kid — child
  5. prune — to trim
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. perch — the fish
  9. kid — to tease
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. tube — a container
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. prune — to trim
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — music
  21. tube — the underground
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. prune — the fruit

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