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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 120 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. can — to be able to
  3. firm — decided
  4. kick — in football
  5. bank — for money
  6. firm — steady
  7. tube — the underground
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. can — a tin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bank — of a river
  12. firm — a company
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rash — a series
  16. squash — to crush
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. can — a tin
  24. hide — animal skin

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