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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. squash — to crush
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. firm — a company
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. kick — in football
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pit — a hole
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. firm — decided
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. firm — steady
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pit — in a race

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