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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. scale — size or range
  9. tube — a container
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. content — happy
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mug — a face
  14. scale — in music
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. mug — a cup
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. track — a song
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mug — to rob

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