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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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. shower — rain
  3. kid — child
  4. shower — to wash
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pass — a permit
  15. tube — a container
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. can — a tin
  18. rock — music
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. tube — the underground
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. can — a tin
  24. squash — to crush

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