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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: mine · face · game · rock · roll · tube · fine · rush

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. fine — all right
  5. rock — a stone
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — a list
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rock — music
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. tube — a container
  15. face — to confront
  16. tube — the underground
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. game — wild animals
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rock — to move gently

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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