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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. stock — goods
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. tube — the underground
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stock — shares
  10. charge — a price
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. tube — a container
  14. charge — in control
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wake — a trail
  21. can — to be able to
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. can — a tin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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