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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: clip · tube · charge · squash · bank · rush · can · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. can — a tin
  3. charge — in control
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bank — for money
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bank — of a river
  14. charge — a price
  15. clip — for paper
  16. charge — electricity
  17. can — a tin
  18. rush — hurry
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. clip — to cut
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. squash — to crush
  24. clip — a video

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