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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. spell — letters
  3. pass — a permit
  4. present — there
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. march — the month
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. march — music
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. present — a gift
  13. tube — a container
  14. rush — hurry
  15. march — the month
  16. spell — magic
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. present — the time now
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rush — a thrill

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