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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: lie · wound · tube · last · swing · bowl · band · suit

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. band — a ring
  8. swing — to play on
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. suit — in cards
  12. band — a music group
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. suit — clothes
  16. last — to go on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wound — an injury
  19. tube — a container
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. swing — music

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