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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bank — for money
  5. band — a music group
  6. kick — in football
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. band — a ring
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cue — for pool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. cue — a hint
  18. kick — a thrill

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