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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: court · bank · tube · kick · staff · wake · bowl · lie

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. tube — a container
  4. bank — of a river
  5. court — of a king
  6. tube — the underground
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. kick — in football
  11. staff — a stick
  12. court — for sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. court — of law
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. staff — employees
  18. bank — for money
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. staff — employees
  23. bank — for money
  24. lie — an untruth

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