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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. capital — money
  3. track — a path
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lie — to recline
  8. capital — a city
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. pop — soda
  14. tube — a container
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. root — the cause
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. root — of a word
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. sharp — clever
  22. root — of a plant
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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