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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mate — a friend
  5. last — final
  6. pop — to visit
  7. tube — the underground
  8. current — happening now
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rock — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pop — music
  14. last — to go on
  15. mate — a partner
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mate — to breed
  18. last — finally
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. current — electric
  22. tear — from crying
  23. staff — employees
  24. current — of water

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