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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — a container
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cue — a signal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. can — a tin
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cue — a hint
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. can — to be able to
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. can — a tin
  23. spring — of water
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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