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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: hide · arm · march · tube · bear · mouse · rest · can

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. can — a tin
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. march — music
  16. rest — a break
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. can — a tin
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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