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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: pop · bulb · firm · tube · mate · squash · lash · game

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mate — to breed
  3. firm — steady
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pop — soda
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mate — a partner
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pop — music
  17. game — a match
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. firm — decided
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bulb — for light
  24. firm — a company

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