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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.

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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. mug — a cup
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rest — what's left
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. mug — a face
  9. tube — the underground
  10. saw — the tool
  11. tube — a container
  12. mug — to rob
  13. tear — from crying
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rest — a break
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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