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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. can — a tin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. root — of a plant
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mate — a friend
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — a container
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. can — a tin
  22. rest — a break
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. nail — for a hammer

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