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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: pit · rush · mug · chest · face · tube · cap · bulb

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mug — a face
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. face — to point toward
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tube — a container
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mug — to rob
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mug — a cup
  21. face — to confront
  22. pit — in a race
  23. chest — a box
  24. cap — of ice

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