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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mug — to rob
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mug — a face
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spring — the season
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tube — a container
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stand — to bear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. spring — of water

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