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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
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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: deal · object · ball · tube · temple · leaves · track · clip

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ball — a dance
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. clip — for paper
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. track — a song
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. object — to protest
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. clip — to cut
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. tube — a container
  18. track — a path
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. clip — a video
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. leaves — of a tree

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