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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. spell — magic
  7. lie — to recline
  8. season — of the year
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. net — for catching
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. net — after costs
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. tube — a container
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. net — in sport
  22. season — in sport
  23. spell — letters
  24. bowl — a dish

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