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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 124 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. file — a tool
  3. tube — a container
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bear — the animal
  9. present — a gift
  10. bass — low music
  11. file — a document
  12. present — the time now
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. file — a line of people
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. drill — army training
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. present — there

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