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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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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: tube · mark · pitch · sharp · current · temple · land · lash

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. current — of water
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. tube — the underground
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mark — a trace
  14. land — ground
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pitch — completely
  21. tube — a container
  22. land — a country
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mark — to pay attention

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