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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. roll — a cake
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bore — to tire
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cue — a hint
  12. root — the cause
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. roll — a list
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. cue — for pool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. root — of a word
  24. tube — the underground

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