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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. row — a line
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pit — a hole
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rush — hurry
  10. shower — rain
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. craft — boats
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pass — a permit
  18. tube — a container
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. shower — to wash
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pit — in a race

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