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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chest — of your body
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tube — the underground
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. shower — rain
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chest — a box
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. shower — to wash
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chest — of your body
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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