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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. last — final
  5. present — a gift
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. present — the time now
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. tube — a container
  14. rock — music
  15. last — finally
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chip — to eat
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. present — there
  20. last — to go on
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — hurry

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