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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mate — to breed
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. roll — a list
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. roll — a cake
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mine — for digging

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