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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · spring · march · tube · pitcher · cabinet · land · object

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. object — an aim
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. land — to come down
  5. object — to protest
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. land — ground
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. march — music
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. march — the month
  15. land — a country
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. object — a thing
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. tube — a container
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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