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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. 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 — in a tire
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. net — after costs
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. net — for catching
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — the underground
  10. net — in sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. hand — help
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. tube — a container
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. 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