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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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 — a container
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cell — a phone
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. present — a gift
  8. tube — the underground
  9. band — a ring
  10. cell — in biology
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. object — an aim
  13. present — there
  14. club — for dancing
  15. present — the time now
  16. club — for golf
  17. object — a thing
  18. club — a group
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. object — to protest
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. band — a music group
  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