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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: spell · tube · bore · chip · dip · lie · stick · craft

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. spell — magic
  3. tube — a container
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bore — to drill
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. tube — the underground
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. spell — letters
  18. bore — to tire
  19. craft — a skill
  20. dip — to sink
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lie — to recline
  23. craft — boats
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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