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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. chest — of your body
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. last — final
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chip — to eat
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. last — to go on
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lie — to recline
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bore — to drill
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — a container
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lie — an untruth

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