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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: sharp · coach · lie · rash · tube · last · temple · pitch

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tube — a container
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. last — to go on
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. last — final
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rash — hasty
  13. tube — the underground
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rash — a series
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. last — finally
  21. lie — to recline
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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