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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tube — a container
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — to rob
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cell — a phone
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cell — in biology
  11. object — a thing
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mug — a cup
  15. date — the fruit
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lie — to recline
  18. tube — the underground
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. object — an aim
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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