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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pit — a hole
  4. current — electric
  5. rush — hurry
  6. current — happening now
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cap — of ice
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. tube — a container
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chest — of your body
  17. current — of water
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chest — a box
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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