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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're almost out of ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pop — soda
  3. lie — to recline
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pop — to visit
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rash — a series
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. current — happening now
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. current — electric
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. current — of water
  20. pop — music
  21. tube — a container
  22. suit — clothes
  23. toast — bread
  24. suit — in cards

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