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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · spring · straw · spell · row · tube · wind · rush

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. tube — a container
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wind — moving air
  7. spell — magic
  8. row — to paddle
  9. spring — a coil
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. spring — of water
  14. rush — hurry
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spring — the season
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lie — to recline
  19. spell — letters
  20. row — a line
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wind — moving air
  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