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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. season — in sport
  6. track — to keep track
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. bear — the animal
  10. track — a path
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. band — a music group
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. band — a ring
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. track — a song
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. hand — in cards
  23. season — of the year
  24. temple — side of the head

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