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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. kid — child
  3. face — to point toward
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. kid — to tease
  14. face — to confront
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. tube — the underground
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. dip — to sink
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. face — part of the head

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