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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. safe — out of danger
  3. roll — a list
  4. craft — a skill
  5. swing — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lie — to recline
  11. kid — to tease
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. tube — a container
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. craft — boats
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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