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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. tube — the underground
  3. foot — a measure
  4. march — the month
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. march — music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. march — the month
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lie — to recline
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. foot — part of the body

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