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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tube — a container
  4. kid — to tease
  5. object — a thing
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. object — an aim
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. content — happy
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kid — child
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. content — the amount
  16. bank — of a river
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bank — for money
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bank — for money
  24. object — to protest

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