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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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Word bank
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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wind — moving air
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. drill — army training
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kid — to tease
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wind — moving air
  20. kid — child
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. fine — all right
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. tube — a container

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