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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: present · tube · bulb · rush · rash · face · suit · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rash — hasty
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. face — to confront
  7. present — a gift
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bulb — for light
  15. face — part of the head
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rush — hurry
  19. suit — clothes
  20. present — the time now
  21. tube — a container
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. present — there

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