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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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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. tube — a container
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. march — music
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. march — the month
  16. game — a match
  17. march — the month
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. hand — help
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. game — wild animals
  23. stand — to bear
  24. safe — out of danger

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