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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: tube · lie · rash · spring · nail · patient · stick · ball

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ball — a dance
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rash — hasty
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ball — a great time
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. tube — a container
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rash — a series
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spring — the season

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