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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. game — a match
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cap — of ice
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. row — a line
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cap — a lid
  17. game — wild animals
  18. row — to paddle
  19. wind — moving air
  20. tube — a container
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. wind — moving 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