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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. staff — a stick
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. hand — help
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. tube — a container
  8. swing — to play on
  9. tube — the underground
  10. swing — in golf
  11. object — to protest
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bank — of a river
  15. lean — to bend
  16. swing — music
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bank — for money
  19. staff — employees
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bank — for money
  22. staff — employees
  23. lean — thin
  24. object — a thing

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