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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. swing — music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. tube — a container
  10. root — of a plant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. swing — in golf
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rule — government
  18. object — to protest
  19. mug — to rob
  20. swing — to play on
  21. object — an aim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mug — a face
  24. object — a thing

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