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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 ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. ball — a great time
  5. drill — army training
  6. land — to come down
  7. snap — to click
  8. tube — a container
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stem — to come from
  11. can — a tin
  12. land — ground
  13. can — to be able to
  14. drill — a practice
  15. land — a country
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. tube — the underground
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. can — a tin
  21. ball — a dance
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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