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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: suit · tube · board · cue · cell · spell · lie · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cell — in biology
  4. spell — letters
  5. board — a committee
  6. cell — a phone
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cue — a signal
  9. board — to get on
  10. lie — to recline
  11. tear — to rip
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tube — the underground
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. spell — magic
  20. tube — a container
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. spell — a short time

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