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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mate — a partner
  6. kick — in football
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mate — a friend
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mate — to breed
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lie — to recline
  21. tube — a container
  22. spell — a short time
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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