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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cue — a signal
  6. tube — a container
  7. lie — to recline
  8. file — a tool
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ball — a dance
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. file — a document
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cue — for pool
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cue — a hint

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