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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. suit — to fit
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kick — in football
  23. snap — to click
  24. temple — side of the head

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