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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 124 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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. firm — a company
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wound — an injury
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pass — a permit
  14. firm — decided
  15. tube — a container
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mine — for digging
  20. tear — from crying
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. firm — steady
  24. tear — to rip

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