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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.

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: tube · bore · kick · nail · coach · pitch · lash · squash

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pitch — completely
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. squash — to crush
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. tube — the underground
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. squash — the sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. kick — in football
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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