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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 116 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: can · lash · squash · object · tube · game · bat · rest

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. object — a thing
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. game — wild animals
  7. can — a tin
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rest — what's left
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. tube — a container
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. game — a match
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rest — a break
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. can — a tin

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