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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rash — a series
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ball — a great time
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cell — a phone
  9. toast — bread
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. tube — the underground
  13. squash — the sport
  14. tube — a container
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ball — a dance
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. row — to paddle
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. row — a line
  24. cell — in a prison

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