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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. net — for catching
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. net — after costs
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. net — in sport
  9. race — a contest
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wake — a trail
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. race — humankind
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bulb — for light
  22. patient — a sick person
  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