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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fork — in a road
  3. date — the fruit
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. roll — a list
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. tube — a container
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. roll — a cake
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. firm — a company

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