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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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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: bay · drill · fan · racket · vault · tube · lie · rest

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rest — a break
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. tube — a container
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. drill — army training
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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