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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. spell — letters
  4. race — the arms race
  5. tube — a container
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spell — magic
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. race — humankind
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. net — after costs
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. net — in sport
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pit — a hole
  20. spell — a short time
  21. race — a contest
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. net — for catching
  24. present — the time now

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