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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: mark · chip · nail · spell · lean · kick · ball · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. kick — in football
  3. tube — a container
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spell — magic
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mark — a grade
  9. ball — a great time
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. tube — the underground
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lean — to bend
  15. spell — a short time
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mark — a trace
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lean — thin
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. spell — letters
  24. chip — for betting

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