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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. object — an aim
  3. bound — obliged
  4. tube — a container
  5. bound — certain
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. object — to protest
  8. charge — a price
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. object — a thing
  16. charge — in control
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wound — an injury
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bulb — for light

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