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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: fine · bulb · tube · mouse · lie · rest · wake · roll

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. roll — a list
  6. tube — a container
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rest — a break
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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