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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 · track · kick · tube · rule · bowl · last · date

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. track — to keep track
  3. date — the fruit
  4. tube — a container
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. last — finally
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tube — the underground
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rule — government
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rule — a law
  15. last — to go on
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. last — final
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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