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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cap — a hat
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mark — a trace
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. lean — thin
  13. mark — a grade
  14. court — for sport
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. lean — to bend
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. bank — of a river
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bank — for money
  24. arm — 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