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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. tube — a container
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. court — for sport
  13. staff — a stick
  14. lean — to bend
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. court — of a king
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. court — of law
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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