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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: tube · craft · lie · key · mark · deal · date · kick

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. key — in music
  4. date — the fruit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. key — the most important part
  7. kick — in football
  8. tube — the underground
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. craft — a skill
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. craft — boats
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lie — to recline
  21. tube — a container
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mark — a grade
  24. kick — a thrill

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