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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bass — the fish
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bass — low music
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. face — to confront
  20. cap — a hat
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tube — a container

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