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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. net — after costs
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. net — in sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. can — a tin
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. can — a tin
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bass — low music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. net — for catching
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bass — the fish

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