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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 120 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: cell · tube · nail · can · pop · rule · lash · suit

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. can — a tin
  5. suit — to fit
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rule — a law
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. suit — clothes
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cell — a phone
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. can — a tin
  18. rule — government
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. cell — in biology
  22. tube — a container
  23. pop — music
  24. suit — in cards

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