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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: suit · deal · bay · spring · bowl · tube · lie · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. tube — the underground
  9. spring — a coil
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. spring — the season
  12. chest — a box
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. spring — of water
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. tube — a container
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. suit — to fit
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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