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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mate — a friend
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rest — a break
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pop — soda
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. tube — a container
  17. pop — music
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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