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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. root — of a word
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tube — the underground
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tube — a container
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. court — of law
  14. band — a ring
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. court — of a king
  17. root — the cause
  18. hand — in cards
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. court — for sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. band — a music group

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