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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 120 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: lie · rush · club · board · tube · row · spell · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. club — a group
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fall — to drop
  6. tube — a container
  7. club — for dancing
  8. row — a line
  9. board — to get on
  10. spell — magic
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — a committee
  19. rush — hurry
  20. club — for golf
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fall — to drop
  23. spell — letters
  24. lie — an untruth

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