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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. last — finally
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. spell — magic
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. deal — to handle
  13. object — an aim
  14. last — to go on
  15. squash — to crush
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. object — a thing
  18. last — final
  19. spell — a short time
  20. squash — the sport
  21. object — to protest
  22. rock — music
  23. spell — letters
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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