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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
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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: rule · lash · tube · land · current · pit · squash · clip

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pit — a hole
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. squash — to crush
  6. land — a country
  7. current — electric
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pit — in a race
  11. squash — the sport
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rule — a law
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. current — of water
  17. land — ground
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. land — to come down
  20. current — happening now
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rule — government
  23. tube — a container
  24. clip — for paper

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