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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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. tube — the underground
  4. plane — a tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stand — to bear
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. last — final
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mate — a friend
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. tube — a container
  24. rush — to hurry

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