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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. tube — the underground
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cue — for pool
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cue — a signal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. chest — of your body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cue — a hint
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. chest — a box
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chest — of your body
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. tube — a container

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