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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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Word bank
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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. root — of a word
  5. charge — a price
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. sharp — clever
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. tube — the underground
  12. dip — to sink
  13. root — the cause
  14. can — to be able to
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. can — a tin
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. root — of a plant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. can — a tin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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