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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. drill — a practice
  6. band — a ring
  7. net — in sport
  8. drill — army training
  9. bound — obliged
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bound — certain
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. net — after costs
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. band — a music group
  20. net — for catching
  21. bound — tied together
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. drill — the tool
  24. tube — the underground

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