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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 116 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: racket · patient · tear · pit · tube · spell · safe · leaves

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pit — in a race
  6. tube — the underground
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tear — from crying
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tear — from crying
  13. spell — letters
  14. tube — a container
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. spell — magic
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tear — to rip
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pit — a hole

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