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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cue — a hint
  3. object — an aim
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lean — thin
  12. object — a thing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lean — to bend
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bound — certain
  19. object — to protest
  20. cue — for pool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cue — a signal
  24. tube — the underground

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