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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. object — an aim
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. object — a thing
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. land — ground
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. land — a country
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. object — to protest
  23. land — to come down
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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