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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. swing — to play on
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. swing — music
  8. mate — a friend
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bound — obliged
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. mate — a partner
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. swing — in golf
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bound — certain
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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