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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. face — to confront
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. face — to point toward
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mine — for digging
  8. foot — a measure
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tube — the underground
  18. foot — the bottom

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