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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. march — the month
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. shower — rain
  10. mug — to rob
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mug — a face
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. tube — the underground
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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