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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. roll — a list
  3. wake — a trail
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. can — a tin
  10. last — finally
  11. can — to be able to
  12. last — to go on
  13. can — a tin
  14. spring — of water
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pound — a weight
  19. last — final
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. roll — a cake
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. spring — a coil
  24. tube — in a tire

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