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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. suit — in cards
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. mug — a cup
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. toast — bread
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. suit — clothes
  23. race — humankind
  24. tube — the underground

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