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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. land — a country
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tube — the underground
  10. land — ground
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. press — to push
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. press — a publisher
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pit — a hole
  21. lie — to recline
  22. land — to come down
  23. lie — an untruth
  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