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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. net — after costs
  13. game — wild animals
  14. net — in sport
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tube — a container
  19. game — a match
  20. lean — thin
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. net — for catching

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