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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.

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: row · ruler · wave · sharp · wound · date · field · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wound — an injury
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. row — to paddle
  7. tube — the underground
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. row — a line
  10. wound — an injury
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. tube — a container
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. field — farmland
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. field — for sport
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. field — a subject
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. sharp — clever
  24. date — the fruit

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