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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mug — a cup
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mug — to rob
  6. field — a subject
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. key — in music
  10. mug — a face
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. tube — a container
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. key — for a lock
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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