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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. last — finally
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. shower — rain
  5. last — to go on
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. shower — to wash
  11. firm — decided
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rock — music
  14. firm — steady
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — goods
  18. last — final
  19. tube — a container
  20. firm — a company
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stock — shares
  23. tube — the underground
  24. patient — a sick person

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