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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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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: fall · tube · deal · kid · lash · pitcher · safe · board

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. kid — child
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. board — a committee
  14. fall — to drop
  15. deal — to handle
  16. board — to get on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — the season
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. board — a flat piece
  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