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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · can · straw · bear · chair · foot · tube · current

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. can — a tin
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tube — the underground
  11. current — electric
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. current — of water
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bear — the animal
  24. current — happening now

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