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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. hand — in cards
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. march — the month
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. march — music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. suit — in cards
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. scale — in music
  15. tube — the underground
  16. march — the month
  17. lie — to recline
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tube — a container
  21. suit — to fit
  22. hand — help
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stem — of a plant

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