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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bank — for money
  6. charge — in control
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bank — of a river
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. charge — a price
  12. kick — in football
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. degree — from a university
  19. charge — electricity
  20. tube — a container
  21. kid — to tease
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. kick — with a leg
  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