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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bank — for money
  19. mug — a face
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bank — for money

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