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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. kick — in football
  4. can — to be able to
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. can — a tin
  7. tube — a container
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. can — a tin
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. scale — size or range
  17. tube — the underground
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. squash — the sport
  24. leaves — lets stay

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