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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: content · hand · kick · pop · file · foot · tube · squash

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. content — the amount
  4. hand — in cards
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. file — a tool
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pop — music
  9. squash — the sport
  10. file — a line of people
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pop — soda
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pop — to visit
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. content — happy
  18. file — a document
  19. kick — in football
  20. hand — help
  21. tube — a container
  22. squash — to crush
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tube — the underground

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