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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. tube — a container
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fine — all right
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. content — happy
  10. pit — a hole
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. content — the amount
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fine — high quality
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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