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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: staff · lie · fine · roll · perch · tube · ball · snap

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. ball — a great time
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. staff — a stick
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. staff — employees
  11. tube — a container
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lie — to recline
  14. roll — a list
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. staff — employees
  17. perch — the fish
  18. roll — a cake
  19. ball — a dance
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to click
  24. tube — the underground

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