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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rock — music
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. tube — a container
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rock — a stone
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rash — a series

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