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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. tube — a container
  18. pass — a permit
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. spring — of water
  22. deal — to handle
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spring — the season

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