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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. drill — the tool
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bank — for money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bank — of a river
  8. capital — money
  9. drill — a practice
  10. capital — a city
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mug — a face
  17. lean — thin
  18. bank — for money
  19. drill — army training
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mug — a cup
  24. tube — a container

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