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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mark — a grade
  5. can — a tin
  6. mug — to rob
  7. hand — in cards
  8. tube — the underground
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. chest — of your body
  11. hand — help
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mug — a cup
  14. chest — a box
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mug — a face
  18. fork — in a road
  19. chest — of your body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — a container
  24. fork — to eat with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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