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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.

Words on the sheet
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: mine · saw · deal · bowl · ball · tube · lash · mate

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mate — a friend
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. tube — a container
  15. saw — the tool
  16. deal — to handle
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. deal — a big deal

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