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

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. tube — a container
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rush — hurry
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. swing — music
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. toast — bread
  20. tube — the underground
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. swing — in golf

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