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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. tube — the underground
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. branch — a division
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. tube — a container
  23. drill — army training
  24. jam — in traffic

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