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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pit — in a race
  9. tube — the underground
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fork — in a road
  13. shower — rain
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pit — a hole
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. ruler — for measuring

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