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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. present — a gift
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. saw — the tool
  7. date — the fruit
  8. present — there
  9. tube — a container
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. dip — to sink
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. tube — the underground
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. present — the time now
  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