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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — in music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wake — a trail
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. squash — the sport
  16. tube — a container
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. temple — side of the head

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