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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. pop — soda
  5. row — to paddle
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pop — music
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. row — a line
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. game — wild animals

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