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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. tube — the underground
  5. object — a thing
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. clip — a video
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. clip — for paper
  20. sharp — clever
  21. object — to protest
  22. bulb — for light
  23. object — an aim
  24. bulb — for light

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