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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rash — a series
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — a list
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bound — certain
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mate — a friend
  11. foot — a measure
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bound — tied together
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rash — hasty
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bound — obliged

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