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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tear — from crying
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. tube — a container
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. march — the month
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. march — the month
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. march — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tear — to rip
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — hurry
  24. tear — from crying

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