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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. can — a tin
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chest — of your body
  7. tube — the underground
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — of the year
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. chest — of your body
  14. season — in sport
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. suit — clothes
  18. chip — for betting
  19. suit — in cards
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. chest — a box
  24. tube — in a tire

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