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

Word bank: present · game · trunk · pass · tube · dip · patient · wound

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. present — there
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. present — the time now
  10. dip — to sink
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. game — a match
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. present — a gift
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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