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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · tube · chest · object · scale · bear · fan · season

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chest — a box
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. scale — in music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bear — the animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. object — an aim
  14. season — of the year
  15. object — to protest
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. object — a thing
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bear — to put up with

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