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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 116 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: bear · bank · bay · key · kid · lie · tube · bat

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bat — the animal
  6. kid — child
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bank — for money
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. key — in music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. tube — a container
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. tube — the underground
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bank — for money
  23. bear — the animal
  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