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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rock — music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. last — final
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. last — finally
  16. chip — for betting
  17. last — to go on
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lean — thin
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lean — to bend
  24. tube — the underground

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