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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: ball · cue · pit · lean · plane · lie · tube · track

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pit — a hole
  3. track — a path
  4. cue — a hint
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lean — to bend
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. track — a song
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. tube — a container
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pit — in a race
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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