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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. root — the cause
  5. face — to point toward
  6. saw — the tool
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bass — low music
  9. kid — child
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. kid — to tease
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bass — the fish
  22. root — of a word
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lie — to recline

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