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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — a container
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. march — the month
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chair — a leader

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