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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. tube — a container
  3. spring — the season
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wake — a trail
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. face — to confront
  14. rock — music
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stand — to bear
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. spring — of water
  20. tube — the underground
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. face — to point toward
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wake — before a funeral

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