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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: tube · mark · toast · lie · race · hand · cue · squash

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hand — help
  4. mark — a trace
  5. race — a contest
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mark — a grade
  8. tube — a container
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. hand — in cards
  12. squash — the sport
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cue — a hint
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lie — to recline
  17. race — humankind
  18. cue — for pool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. toast — bread
  21. cue — a signal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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