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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. date — the fruit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wake — a trail
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. hand — help
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. staff — employees
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. tube — a container
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. hand — 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