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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. staff — a stick
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. band — a ring
  9. tube — a container
  10. spell — magic
  11. field — for sport
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. spell — letters
  14. field — farmland
  15. staff — employees
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. staff — employees
  20. rush — hurry
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. suit — clothes
  23. band — a music group
  24. tube — the underground

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