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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 116 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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. march — the month
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — the arms race
  6. track — a path
  7. march — the month
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lean — thin
  10. bank — of a river
  11. track — to keep track
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. march — music
  15. lean — to bend
  16. track — a song
  17. race — a contest
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. bank — for money
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bank — for money
  23. fork — in a road
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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