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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. field — a subject
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. field — for sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. chest — a box
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lie — to recline
  16. can — a tin
  17. field — farmland
  18. tube — the underground
  19. land — ground
  20. rush — hurry
  21. land — a country
  22. firm — a company
  23. land — to come down
  24. tube — a container

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