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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
468
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: rock · arm · key · lie · ball · spring · perch · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rock — a stone
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. key — in music
  14. spring — of water
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ball — a dance
  17. key — for a lock
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spring — the season
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. spring — a coil
  24. tube — in a tire

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