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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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468
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: wave · tube · cell · lie · bound · deal · pass · spell

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. spell — magic
  3. tube — a container
  4. bound — tied together
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pass — a permit
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. spell — letters
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. spell — a short time
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bound — certain

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