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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · sharp · date · roll · temple · object · race · tube

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. date — the fruit
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. race — a contest
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bound — certain
  12. race — the arms race
  13. object — to protest
  14. sharp — clever
  15. race — humankind
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tube — the underground
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. roll — a list
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bound — obliged
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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