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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. key — the most important part
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tube — the underground
  7. key — for a lock
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. key — in music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rest — a break
  18. hand — in cards
  19. tube — a container
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. foot — part of the body

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