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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. present — there
  3. tube — the underground
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. present — the time now
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. present — a gift
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pass — a permit
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tube — a container
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. march — the month
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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