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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. season — in sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — of the year
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stand — to bear
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tube — a container
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. tube — the underground

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