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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. drill — army training
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ball — a great time
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. tube — a container
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. lie — to recline
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. tube — the underground
  23. drill — the tool
  24. temple — a place of worship

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