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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: sharp · can · hand · dip · wound · squash · tube · racket

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hand — help
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. can — a tin
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. tube — a container
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tube — the underground
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wound — an injury
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. can — a tin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hand — in cards
  19. squash — to crush
  20. can — to be able to
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. squash — the sport
  24. hand — part of the body

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