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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. board — a committee
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bass — low music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — to get on

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