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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pit — in a race
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. tube — a container
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pit — a hole
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rock — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. tube — the underground

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