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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 120 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mate — to breed
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mate — a friend
  7. current — electric
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. tube — a container
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mate — a partner
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. current — happening now
  16. pass — a permit
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — the underground
  19. current — of water
  20. row — to paddle
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. row — a line
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ball — a dance

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