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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.

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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: stick · pass · face · mouse · ground · game · rest · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. ground — a position
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. tube — a container
  7. game — wild animals
  8. face — to point toward
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rest — a break
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. face — to confront
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. game — a match
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mouse — the animal

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