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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. spell — magic
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. court — of law
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. tube — the underground
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. spell — a short time
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. court — for sport
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spell — letters
  21. court — of a king
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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