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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. track — a song
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. track — a path
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. track — to keep track
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wake — a trail
  14. tube — a container
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. race — the arms race

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