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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 120 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rock — a stone
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tube — a container
  9. mark — a grade
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rock — music
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. clip — to cut
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. clip — for paper
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. clip — a video
  24. fan — to cool the air

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