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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pit — a hole
  5. tube — a container
  6. content — the amount
  7. suit — clothes
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cold — an illness
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. pit — in a race
  15. suit — in cards
  16. tube — the underground
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. key — the most important part
  19. content — happy
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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