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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mate — to breed
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — for sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fine — all right
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. court — of a king
  22. lie — to recline
  23. court — of law
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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