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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: kick · bowl · tube · rock · firm · patient · squash · last

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. firm — steady
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rock — a stone
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. firm — a company
  9. tube — the underground
  10. firm — decided
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. kick — in football
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rock — music
  20. tube — a container
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. last — finally

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