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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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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: firm · tube · present · mate · fall · lie · toast · prune

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. firm — steady
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mate — to breed
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mate — a friend
  12. toast — bread
  13. present — the time now
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fall — the season
  16. lie — to recline
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. present — there
  19. firm — decided
  20. fall — to drop
  21. firm — a company
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. present — a gift

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