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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. firm — steady
  3. shower — to wash
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. kick — in football
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. tube — the underground
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. firm — a company
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. squash — to crush
  23. shower — rain
  24. firm — decided

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