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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. race — a contest
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rock — a stone
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rock — music
  8. pass — a permit
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. present — the time now
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. shower — rain
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mine — for digging
  19. present — there
  20. race — humankind
  21. tube — a container
  22. present — a gift
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. race — the arms race

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