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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · saw · lie · kick · root · pitcher · tube · club

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bound — tied together
  4. club — for golf
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. tube — a container
  10. club — a group
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bound — certain
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bound — obliged
  16. tube — the underground
  17. kick — in football
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — of a word
  22. club — for dancing
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pitcher — a jug

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