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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lash · pit · pop · mine · tube · march · temple · ball

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pit — a hole
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. march — the month
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. march — the month
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. tube — a container
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ball — a great time
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ball — a dance
  23. march — music
  24. ball — a round shape

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