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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. lean — to bend
  5. last — to go on
  6. bound — certain
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. drill — the tool
  9. object — to protest
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kick — in football
  13. object — an aim
  14. bound — obliged
  15. tube — the underground
  16. last — final
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. object — a thing
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. last — finally
  23. lean — thin
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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