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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: can · net · tube · rest · bulb · lean · kick · rush

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. can — to be able to
  3. net — after costs
  4. rest — what's left
  5. net — in sport
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lean — thin
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lean — to bend
  12. kick — in football
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. tube — a container
  22. rest — a break
  23. net — for catching
  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