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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: bay · stick · deal · tube · lie · track · squash · craft

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. track — to keep track
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. deal — to handle
  5. squash — to crush
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. craft — boats
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. track — a path
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. craft — a skill
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lie — to recline
  15. track — a song
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bay — a horse colour

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