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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. mate — a friend
  3. roll — a cake
  4. face — part of the head
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. roll — a list
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. tube — a container
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. date — the fruit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. kick — in football
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. face — to confront
  24. date — on the calendar

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