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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rest — a break
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bore — to tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bass — low music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tube — a container
  17. lie — to recline
  18. can — a tin
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bass — the fish
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. can — to be able to

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