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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: roll · game · chip · lie · wax · mine · tube · rest

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wax — to grow
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rest — a break
  10. roll — a cake
  11. chip — to eat
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. roll — a list
  24. tube — a container

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