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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. file — a tool
  4. tube — a container
  5. cell — a phone
  6. file — a document
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a city

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