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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: net · suit · bear · tube · roll · spell · lie · race

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. net — after costs
  3. suit — in cards
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spell — magic
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. suit — clothes
  11. race — a contest
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lie — to recline
  15. net — in sport
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — for catching
  18. spell — letters
  19. race — humankind
  20. roll — a list
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spell — a short time
  23. tube — a container
  24. roll — a cake

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