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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · season · row · wake · bound · rush · mate · sharp

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. season — of the year
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mate — a partner
  9. tube — the underground
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. row — to paddle
  16. season — in sport
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. row — a line
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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