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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 · ruler · tube · bank · fine · bulb · chest · straw

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bulb — for light
  3. tube — the underground
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. chest — a box
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bank — for money
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bank — for money
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fine — high quality
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fine — all right
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. tube — a container
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chest — of your body

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