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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cell — a phone
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tube — a container
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. march — the month
  9. key — in music
  10. suit — in cards
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. can — a tin
  14. bark — to shout
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — a tin
  20. key — for a lock
  21. march — music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. can — to be able to

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