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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wake · object · tube · lie · trunk · can · deal · toast

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. can — a tin
  5. lie — to recline
  6. can — to be able to
  7. object — a thing
  8. tube — the underground
  9. object — to protest
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. object — an aim
  13. toast — bread
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. can — a tin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. tube — a container
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. deal — a big deal

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