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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.

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: racket · tube · last · fall · can · land · chest · bowl

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. land — a country
  3. chest — a box
  4. fall — to drop
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. chest — of your body
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. last — to go on
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. land — to come down
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. fall — to drop
  20. land — ground
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fall — the season
  24. racket — a loud noise

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