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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. game — wild animals
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. game — a match
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. kid — to tease
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. staff — a stick
  16. face — to confront
  17. staff — employees
  18. face — to point toward
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bulb — for light
  21. face — part of the head
  22. staff — employees
  23. bulb — for light
  24. current — electric

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