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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. net — after costs
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. net — for catching
  10. fine — all right
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rush — hurry
  14. net — in sport
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rock — a stone
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fan — a supporter

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