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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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. band — a music group
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mug — to rob
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mug — a cup
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mug — a face
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. band — a ring

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