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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 116 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: wave · hand · tube · ball · lie · suit · mug · fork

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mug — to rob
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. hand — help
  5. fork — in a road
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mug — a cup
  16. hand — in cards
  17. tube — a container
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mug — a face
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. lie — to recline
  24. suit — in cards

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