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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. chest — a box
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. face — part of the head
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — the underground
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. face — to point toward
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chest — of your body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. chest — of your body
  22. race — a contest
  23. face — to confront
  24. nail — on a finger

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