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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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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: trunk · pop · hand · tube · lie · mouse · cue · squash

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. hand — in cards
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pop — to visit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. hand — help
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cue — a hint
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. tube — a container
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lie — to recline

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