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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. tube — the underground
  7. board — to get on
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mug — a face
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wind — moving air
  20. spring — the season
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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