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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. kick — in football
  4. scale — size or range
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. scale — in music
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bat — the animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wake — a trail
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rock — music
  20. tube — a container
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. nail — on a finger

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