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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chest — a box
  3. shower — rain
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ball — a dance
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chest — of your body
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ball — a great time
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. shower — to wash
  21. tube — the underground
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. can — to be able to

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