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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ground — a position
  3. snap — to click
  4. craft — a skill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ground — the earth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. craft — boats
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. staff — employees
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. staff — employees

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