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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bound — obliged
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ground — the earth
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ground — crushed
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rock — a stone
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. face — to point toward
  15. tube — a container
  16. bound — certain
  17. tube — the underground
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bound — tied together
  20. plane — a tool
  21. face — to confront
  22. ground — a position
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rock — to move gently

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