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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: lash · ball · court · band · hide · tube · mate · can

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mate — a partner
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. can — a tin
  8. court — of a king
  9. tube — the underground
  10. band — a ring
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mate — a friend
  13. can — a tin
  14. court — of law
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. tube — a container
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. band — a music group
  23. mate — to breed
  24. court — for sport

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