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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bound — obliged
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bound — tied together
  8. can — a tin
  9. kick — in football
  10. present — there
  11. saw — the tool
  12. present — a gift
  13. bound — certain
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. can — to be able to
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. squash — the sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. present — the time now
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. squash — to crush
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. tube — a container

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