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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. tube — a container
  6. current — of water
  7. object — to protest
  8. pound — a weight
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tear — to rip
  12. current — happening now
  13. object — an aim
  14. tube — the underground
  15. object — a thing
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. court — of a king
  19. current — electric
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lie — to recline

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