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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: pass · bear · saw · tube · row · mine · wind · fan

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. tube — a container
  22. row — a line
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — for digging

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