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

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. lie — to recline
  13. chest — a box
  14. tube — a container
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bear — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wake — a trail

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