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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 120 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cue — a signal
  4. staff — employees
  5. tube — a container
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. game — wild animals
  10. staff — employees
  11. tube — the underground
  12. present — there
  13. game — a match
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cap — a lid
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cap — a hat
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. present — a gift
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. present — the time now

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