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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: mate · fine · toast · patient · pop · rash · tube · roll

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rash — hasty
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. tube — a container
  8. fine — all right
  9. rash — a series
  10. toast — bread
  11. roll — a list
  12. pop — soda
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. roll — a cake
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mate — to breed
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mate — a friend

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