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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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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 · chip · lie · rest · row · mouse · staff · lean

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tube — a container
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. staff — employees
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rest — a break
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lean — to bend
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lean — thin
  21. row — a line
  22. staff — employees
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lean — to rest against

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