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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. band — a music group
  6. track — a path
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. track — a song
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. band — a ring
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bulb — of a plant

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