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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. key — for a lock
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bound — obliged
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lean — to bend
  14. race — the arms race
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. race — humankind
  19. fall — the season
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. lean — thin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — certain
  24. race — a contest

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