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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. drill — army training
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. band — a music group
  10. tube — the underground
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. vault — a safe
  18. band — a ring

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