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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rest — a break
  3. row — a line
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. band — a music group
  8. saw — the tool
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fine — all right
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fine — high quality
  22. saw — the tool
  23. band — a ring
  24. coach — a trainer

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