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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. march — music
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cap — a hat
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lash — to lash out

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