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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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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: lie · tube · clip · object · deal · club · chest · mark

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. club — for dancing
  3. object — an aim
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mark — a grade
  6. club — for golf
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — a group
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. clip — a video
  16. deal — to handle
  17. clip — to cut
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lie — to recline
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mark — a trace
  22. chest — of your body
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. tube — a container

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