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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rest — a break
  3. face — part of the head
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mine — for digging
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rest — what's left
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. tube — a container
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. face — to point toward
  20. prune — to trim
  21. face — to confront
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. prune — to trim
  24. snap — to click

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