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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.

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

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bank — for money
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. drill — the tool
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bank — of a river
  10. drill — a practice
  11. tube — a container
  12. spell — magic
  13. bass — low music
  14. stem — to come from
  15. spell — letters
  16. tube — the underground
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bank — for money
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. drill — army training
  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