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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · can · mine · mate · nail · object · kick · row

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mate — a friend
  6. object — a thing
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. object — to protest
  9. mate — a partner
  10. can — a tin
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. can — a tin
  14. kick — in football
  15. tube — a container
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mate — to breed
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. object — an aim
  24. mine — for digging

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