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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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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: roll · cap · mate · tube · last · nail · lean · mark

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mark — a grade
  4. roll — a list
  5. lean — thin
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. last — final
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cap — of ice
  13. last — finally
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cap — a hat
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. last — to go on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lean — to bend
  23. tube — a container
  24. mark — a trace

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