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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · straw · lie · tube · rest · ball · bat · key

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. key — in music
  4. roll — a cake
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. tube — a container
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. roll — a list
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — to recline
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — the underground
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bat — the animal

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