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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: deal · tube · nail · swing · lie · plane · stick · shower

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. swing — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tube — the underground
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. tube — a container
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lie — to recline
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. shower — rain
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. shower — to wash
  24. swing — to play on

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