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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ground — crushed
  6. track — a path
  7. cell — in biology
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cell — a phone
  11. track — to keep track
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chip — for betting
  16. ground — the earth
  17. chip — to eat
  18. track — a song
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ground — a position
  23. ball — a great time
  24. trunk — of a tree

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