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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 116 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tube — the underground
  5. drill — a practice
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. tear — to rip
  12. drill — army training
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bound — obliged
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bound — certain

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