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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
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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: mug · can · kid · lie · spell · spring · race · tube

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mug — a face
  3. race — humankind
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. can — a tin
  8. kid — to tease
  9. race — a contest
  10. can — to be able to
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. spell — letters
  14. spring — the season
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kid — child
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — a tin
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. tube — a container
  23. race — the arms race
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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