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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. present — the time now
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. present — a gift
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. tube — a container
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mate — a friend
  15. present — there
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mate — a partner
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. chip — for betting
  21. toast — bread
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bat — the animal
  24. tube — the underground

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