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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bank — of a river
  3. key — the most important part
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kid — child
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stem — to come from
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stem — a stem cell

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