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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mate — a friend
  11. march — music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. march — the month
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. pass — a permit
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. lean — thin
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rush — hurry
  23. march — the month
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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