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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. ground — a position
  4. lean — thin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. tube — a container
  10. capital — a city
  11. fine — all right
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lean — to bend
  15. capital — money
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ground — the earth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — to breed
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mate — a partner

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