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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. can — to be able to
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — a container
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bulb — for light

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