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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
468
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: temple · tube · snap · bass · lie · game · pit · nail

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bass — low music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pit — a hole
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bass — the fish
  21. snap — to click
  22. game — a match
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. nail — for a hammer

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