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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cap — a lid
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cap — a hat
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pound — a weight
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wound — an injury
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. cap — of ice
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pit — in a race
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pound — to hit hard

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